NSA Foils Islamic Terror Plot in Sweden: Syrian Refugee Brothers' Planned Crowded Church Bombing

Two Syrian refugee brothers who arrived in Germany during the migrant crisis were found to have planned to blow up a church in Sweden, according to a press release by the Hamburg police.

The older brother, 28-year-old Anas Kiwan, was arrested in April on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. During a search of his apartment in Hamburg’s “gay quarter,” Sankt Georg, the police discovered urea-based fertilizer, a chemical that can be used to make bombs. A urea nitrate bomb was used in the 1993 Islamic attack on the World Trade Center.

Anas K., who worked as a security guard in supermarkets, had previously offered to work as a courier to three different restaurants, but they declined his offer. Outside of work, he had a devout Muslim faith and regularly visited three mosques located in and around the St. George district. In addition to his religious practices, Anas was a dedicated gym enthusiast

As a result of Anas’ arrest, his 24-year-old younger brother Ahmad Kiwan, who came to Germany as a refugee via the Balkan route in November 2015, was also detained. Ahmad resides outside Kempten, near the German-Austrian border.

Visted Sweden For Terror Planning and Pre-Operational Surveillance

Until recently, the specific target of the brothers’ terrorist act remained unknown. However, the Hamburg police released a press statement on Tuesday, revealing the details uncovered during the investigation.

“Based on our current information, the suspect intended to target an unspecified church in Sweden, with people present, for the attack,” the statement reads.

The investigation revealed the brothers’ intentions to blow up a church in Sweden by examining their mobile phones and computers. However, it has not been determined which church they planned to target.

German prosecutor Liddy Oechtering declined to disclose the specific Swedish church targeted in the planned attack, while linking the motive behind the plot to the Qur’an burnings in Sweden.

The investigators have gone through e-mails and chats between the brothers and were able to see that it was about a Swedish church. But the investigation is still ongoing. What I can say is that it seems to have something to do with a Qur’an burning that is supposed to have taken place in Sweden and which has been reported a lot in the German media, said chief prosecutor Liddy Oechtering.

Some individuals in German-Arab groups on Facebook view these terror plans as retaliation for Sweden allowing Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan’s Qur’an burnings. Paludan, known for his free speech protests, argues that Muslim refugees are fundamentally different from Westerners. I

In an interview with RAIR Foundation USA, he asserted, ‘Well, it shows my point. And my point is that people in the world are not the same; people in the world are different. And the Muslims in the world are completely different from Western Europeans and people of Western European descent.” Paludan continued, “So I think they lack the understanding of the cultural differences as do many Western Europeans. And also, of course, I have received a great number of threats to kill me in various ways. Many of them are extremely graphic. That is something you would hardly ever see in Denmark. It’s very rare for Danes to send death threats to each other. And not over criticism of religion. But certainly, many Muslims apparently think that’s a good idea.”

Planned the Attack Together

Initially, Anas Kiwan was considered the main instigator of the terrorist act, while his younger brother, Ahmad, was seen as an accomplice. However, after just over four weeks of investigation, Ahmad is now regarded as equally involved as his older brother.

“He not only encouraged his brother’s decision but also aided in procuring the necessary components for making explosives and promised to carry out the attack together with him,” the Hamburg police state.

On Monday, Ahmad Kiwan was transferred from Kempten to Hamburg, where the investigation is being conducted by the Hamburg police in collaboration with the German federal police.

In April, German media reported that the arrest of the Kiwan brothers came following a tip from America’s National Security Agency (NSA), which discovered their purchase of chemicals for bomb-making.

According to a report by Bild newspaper, “Without the NSA, which provided the German authorities with crucial information, the brothers’ sinister plan might not have been exposed. The Americans constantly scan the internet for potential orders of bomb-making materials, a practice prohibited in Germany due to data protection regulations.”