VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #2446/01 2621553
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191553Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8611
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0491

UNCLAS VIENNA 002446 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV AU
SUBJECT: LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST MUSLIM EXTREMIST SUSPECTS 
 
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT 
ACCORDINGLY.  NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
Summary and Introduction 
------------------------ 
1.(U) On September 12, Austrian police arrested three suspected 
Muslim extremists in connection with a video that surfaced in March 
threatening to attack Austria and Germany unless the two nations 
withdrew their personnel from Afghanistan.  Pre-trial judicial 
investigations against the suspects are underway. The prime suspect 
is Mohamed Mahmoud, a 22-year old Austrian of Egyptian background. 
The others are his 20-year old wife and a 26-year old Austrian of 
Pakistani background, who was released from custody on September 14 
due to lack of evidence.  Charges against Mahmoud include membership 
in a terrorist organization and coercion of the government.  The 
others are charged with membership in a terrorist organization. 
Mahmoud is suspected of having considered buying explosives from 
Said Namouh, but according to Interior Minister Guenter Platter, 
there was no discernible plot for an attack in Austria.   End 
Summary. 
 
 
Police Investigations 
--------------------- 
2.(U)  For several months, police authorities had investigated 
Mohamed Mahmoud, the chairman of a small Muslim organization called 
"Islamic Youth of Austria."  Mahmoud had openly supported Muslim 
extremism.  Police surveillance of Mahmoud included phone and E-mail 
monitoring and his apartment was bugged. Mahmoud is alleged to have 
been in Internet contact with the al-Qaeda network and is suspected 
of operating the German-language Web site for the Global Islamic 
Media Front, an al-Qaeda propaganda group.  On September 12, 
Austrian police arrested Mahmoud and his wife, who had planned to 
leave Austria to go on their honeymoon, as well as a third suspect, 
an Austrian of Pakistani background. Simultaneously, Canadian 
authorities, who had worked closely with Austrian police on the 
case, arrested Said Namouh in Quebec on charges of "conspiring for 
the purpose of delivering, placing, discharging or detonating an 
explosive in a place outside Canada."  Supposedly, Namouh had been 
in intensive internet contact with Mahmoud including discussions 
about buying explosives and was planning to leave Canada. 
 
3.(SBU)  Mahmoud is suspected of delivering a message in Arabic on a 
 video threatening Austria and Germany, while his wife is suspected 
of producing the German subtitles for the video.  The third suspect 
was initially suspected of having filmed the video. He was, however, 
released from arrest on September 14 since the investigative judge 
in the case did not consider the evidence sufficient for 
investigative detention.  According to media reports, he may merely 
have been a close friend of Mahmoud. The case against him is, 
however, not yet closed, as the Vienna Prosecutor's office confirmed 
to Embassy. 
 
Judicial proceedings 
-------------------- 
4.(SBU)  Christian Gneist, spokesman of the Vienna Criminal Court, 
confirmed to the Embassy that the investigative judge's next 
examination of the detention of the suspects is scheduled for 
September 26.  Subsequently, the investigative judge is obliged to 
periodically evaluate the pre-trial detention to examine whether the 
grounds for detention are still valid.  Police have indicated that 
the analysis of the suspect's computer material may last up to two 
months. Sentences for membership in a terrorist association range up 
to ten years, for coercion of the government up to 15 years. 
 
Suspect in Canada 
----------------- 
5.(U) Austrian authorities are not commenting on the case of the 
arrested suspect in Canada.  According to Austrian press reports, 
the next evaluation of his detention is scheduled for September 20. 
Canadian police are reportedly analyzing his computer material. 
 
Mahmoud - Dangerous or Dilettante? 
---------------------------------- 
6.(U)  Since the arrests, the media have increasingly questioned 
whether the suspects had posed a real threat to Austria.  Mahmoud 
had previously made intensive efforts to seek media attention, and 
had revealed his alleged membership in radical Islamic groups such 
as Salafia Alijihadia and Jihad Islam in letters to the press. 
 
7.(U) Bio Note: Mahmoud's family is of Egyptian origin. His father 
is an Imam who is suspected of having some questionable contact to 
Islamist circles.  Mahmoud attended the Saudi Arabian high school in 
Vienna but dropped out.  In 2005, he founded the "Islamic Youth of 
Austria," an extremist splinter group which organized, inter alia, 
demonstrations against the U.S. presence in Iraq.  Mahmoud also 
started his own website where he presented photos of Muslims abused 
by U.S soldiers.  During the campaign for the 2006 parliamentary 
elections, he distributed leaflets appealing to Muslims not to vote 
in the elections.  Subsequently, police investigated him on charges 
of "obstructing participation in elections."  In reaction, Mahmoud 
sent out confusing messages regarding the issue of Muslim 
participation in elections.  He also criticized the Islamic 
Community of Austria (IGGiOe), the organization officially 
representing Austrian Muslims, as not representing the true Islam, 
and calling them "kufir" (infidels). 
 
Official Islamic Community Reaction 
----------------------------------- 
8.(U)  Following the arrests, IGGiOe President Anas Schakfeh 
stressed that the IGGiOe had known Mahmoud and had "problems" with 
him.  Schakfeh characterizes the arrested suspects as "not harmless, 
but dilettantes."  They belonged to a minority of Austrian Muslims 
who opposed the IGGiOe.  The IGGiOe also reiterated its commitment 
to prevent the emergence of radical views in Muslim communities. 
 
Comment 
------- 
9.(SBU)  The Abu Nidal attack at Vienna's Schwechat airport in 1985 
was the last terrorist act in Austria.  Although the Interior 
Ministry claims that extremist Islamic cells in Austria only consist 
of a handful of people (under close surveillance by intelligence 
authorities), the 9/12 arrests have triggered an intense public 
debate on the integration of Muslims in Austria.  The government has 
reacted by commissioning a report on the state of integration 
efforts in Austria.  Rightwing parties, on the other hand, are 
attempting to exploit public fears of a radicalization among 
Austrian Muslims with calls that Muslims in Austria must, in 
essence, assimilate into mainstream Austrian culture. 
McCaw