Elham Asaad Buaras
Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office (FPO) confirmed on May 9 that a second German soldier was arrested in connection with a “false flag” far-right terror attack to be blamed on refugees in the country. Maximilian T, 27, was arrested on suspicion of helping fellow suspects lieutenant Franco A and student Mathias F in planning an attack which would have targeted a senior left-wing politician or a public figure.
It is thought the attack by a neo-Nazi group in the German army is intended to influence the Government’s migration and refugee policy. The Defense Ministry had informed Parliament last month it was investigating 275 suspected right-wing extremists in its ranks. The plot was exposed with the arrest of a lieutenant, Franco A, a suspected far-right extremist, in February after police discovered the lieutenant had been living a double life for more than a year as a Syrian refugee under a fake name.
His friend Mathias F, at Illkirch-Graffenstaden barracks in France, was detained for allegedly covering for the Franco’s absences as he periodically returned to Bavaria to continue the ruse. FPO’ Spokeswoman, Frauke Köehler, said the suspects were believed to have been planning a major terror attack which would have been linked to his fake identity as a Syrian refugee.“The three suspects wanted to direct suspicion at asylum seekers living in Germany after the attack,” said Köehler.
“The planned attack was intended to be interpreted by the population as a radical Islamist terrorist attack by a recognised refugee. Especially with regard to the ongoing public discussion over immigration and refugee policy, an alleged terrorist attack by a registered asylum seeker would have attracted particular attention and contributed to the sense of threat.”
She confirmed the names of former President Joachim Gauck and Justice Minister Heiko Maas were on a list of potential targets prepared by the suspects.
Franco A first caught the attention of the authorities when he tried to hide a pistol in a restroom at Vienna International Airport in Austria. At that time, he was briefly arrested but later released by the Austrian authorities. During searches at the suspects’ apartments, last month police found 1,000 rounds of ammunition from army stocks.
