2015 New Year's attack plots explained

In late December 2015, authorities in several countries announced the discovery of attack plots, organized by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), targeting New Year's celebrations. Police in North America and Europe were on high alert in December 2015 because of a series of terrorist attacks and attack plots, including the November 2015 Paris attacks, and because of information picked up by security agencies indicating that militants might plan to attack public New Year's Eve celebrations.

New Year's Eve celebrations were cancelled following intelligence reports of planned attacks and several arrests in Brussels, while in Munich, rail service was suspended as suspected attack plots were uncovered. In other cities, security was increased amid heightened fears in the wake of the Paris attacks.[1] [2] [3] [4] There were unprecedented security measures in several major European cities, including Paris, London, Amsterdam, Madrid, and Moscow.[5] [6]

New Year's attack plots

Brussels

Belgian police arrested two men on 27 and 28 December and charged them with involvement in an ISIL-related plan to attack New Year's celebrations in Brussels, reportedly having discussed attacking the Grand-Place. Four others were arrested during raids and questioned but subsequently released. Public New Year's Eve celebrations and fireworks were cancelled in Brussels due to the heightened terror threat.[7] [8] No charges were pressed for planning an attack, but the two men were convicted of being members of a terrorist organization and sentenced to prison.[9]

Ankara

Turkish police seized bomb-making equipment, a suicide vest and other equipment during a raid of a house in Ankara on 30 December, and detained two ISIL militants on charges of plotting a New Year's attack. A main target was reported to be the Kizilay Square where large crowds gather to celebrate New Year's Eve.[10] [11]

Munich train stations plot

In Munich, ISIL terrorists reportedly planned attacks on two train stations on New Year's Eve.[12] [13] German police stated that they thwarted the plots after they received a "very concrete tip" around 7:40 p.m. on New Year's Eve from intelligence sources in the United States and France.[14] According to Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann, between five and seven suicide bombers planned to blow themselves up at locations that included two train stations.[13] A 550-strong police manhunt ensued after the possible suspects.[15] The investigation was dropped in February 2016 due to "lack of clues" amid a failure to uncover leads on the seven names given in the warning.[16]

Rochester, New York

Emanuel Lutchman, age 25, was arrested in Rochester, New York by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force on December 30 and charged with offering to provide material support to a terrorist group. He had specifically planned an attack on the Merchants Grill restaurant.[17] [18] He told the Federal Bureau of Investigation that he had also planned on killing his wife.[19] On August 11, 2016, Lutchman pleaded guilty for planning the attack.[20] On January 26, 2017, he was given the maximum sentence of twenty years in prison.[19]

Other plots

Turkish police later revealed that they had informed other countries after finding evidence on a laptop retrieved during the Ankara raid of an EU-wide plot against Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom and Turkey by a group of thirteen prepared suicide bombers who had left the ISIL headquarters in Raqqa.[21] Austrian police heightened security measures and investigated suspects in Vienna before New Year's Eve, without finding "concrete further results".[22]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Smith. Alexander. Jamieson. Alastair. Ing. Nancy. Security Raised at New Year Celebrations Amid World Terror Fears. 7 February 2016. NBC News. 31 December 2015. February 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160207012242/http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/paris-terror-attacks/belgium-makes-10th-arrest-over-paris-attack-amid-new-year-n488371. live.
  2. News: Hanna. Jason. McKirdy. Euan. Security and terrorism: Jittery backdrops to New Year's Eve around the world. 7 February 2016. CNN. 31 December 2015. February 22, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160222170922/http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/31/world/new-years-eve-terrorism-security-concerns/. live.
  3. News: Bartunek. Robert-Jan. Brussels cancels NYE celebrations, Turkey attack plots foiled with arrests. 7 February 2016. Reuters; Washington Post. The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 January 2016. January 3, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160103102421/http://www.smh.com.au/world/brussels-cancels-nye-celebrations-turkey-attack-plots-foiled-with-arrests-20151230-glx3eq.html. live.
  4. News: Koren. Marina. The Heightened Security for New Year's Eve Around the World. 7 February 2016. The Atlantic. 31 December 2016. March 14, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170314202506/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/12/new-years-eve-security/422340/. live.
  5. News: Terror alert and fires disrupt New Year's celebrations. Al-Jazeera. 1 January 2016. July 14, 2016. July 16, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160716165600/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/01/terror-alert-fires-disrupt-year-celebrations-160101032940782.html. live.
  6. News: Brussels police detain three over 'New Year terror plot'. BBC. 31 December 2015. June 21, 2018. June 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180605114449/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35199793. live.
  7. News: Calamur. Krishnadev. Arrests in Belgium. 4 January 2016. The Atlantic. 29 December 2015. April 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160410084016/http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/12/belgium-arrests/422103/. live.
  8. News: Hanna. Jason. Cruickshank. Paul. Cotovio. Vasco. Brussels' New Year's festivities canceled in wake of alleged plot. 25 February 2016. CNN. 30 December 2015. March 1, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160301161630/http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/29/europe/belgium-terror-arrests/. live.
  9. News: Un Kamikaze Rider passera plusieurs années en prison : reconnu coupable de terrorisme. Newmedia. RTL. RTL Info. 2018-06-26. June 26, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180626141012/https://www.rtl.be/info/belgique/faits-divers/un-kamikazes-rider-passera-plusieurs-annees-en-prison-reconnu-coupable-de-terrorisme-860790.aspx. live.
  10. News: Koren. Marina. A Foiled New Year's Eve Terrorist Plot in Turkey. 4 January 2016. The Atlantic. 30 December 2015. October 29, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161029235140/http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/12/turkey-isis-new-year/422217/. live.
  11. News: Yeginsu. Ceylan. Turkey Detains 2 ISIS Militants Planning New Year's Eve Attack. 6 February 2016. New York Times. 30 December 2015. January 3, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160103103103/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/31/world/europe/ankara-turkey-isis-attack.html?_r=0. live.
  12. Web site: Munich suicide bomb plot: police hunt Isis suspects behind New Year's Eve threat . Knight . Ben . 1 January 2016 . 4 January 2016 . The Guardian . May 4, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190504113010/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/31/munich-police-warn-of-imminent-threat-of-terror-attack . live .
  13. News: Smith. Alexander. Neubert. Michele. ISIS Plot Tip-Off Triggered New Year's Eve Terror Scare in Munich. 7 February 2016. NBC News. 1 January 2016. February 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160206234351/http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/isis-plot-tip-triggered-new-year-s-eve-terror-scare-n488846. live.
  14. News: Eddy. Melissa. Munich on High Alert After New Year's Eve Terrorism Threat. 8 February 2016. New York Times. 1 January 2016. January 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160106095907/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/02/world/europe/munich-threat-attack.html?_r=0. live.
  15. News: Manhunt in Munich for New Year terror suspects. The Local. 1 January 2016. July 14, 2016. August 20, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160820190320/http://www.thelocal.de/20160101/manhunt-in-munich-for-new-year-terror-suspects. live.
  16. News: Munich New Year terror investigation comes up empty. The Local. 18 February 2016. July 14, 2016. August 20, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160820175832/http://www.thelocal.de/20160218/munich-new-year-terror-investigation-comes-up-empty. live.
  17. News: McDermott. Meaghan M.. Accused terrorist Lutchman fights tears in court. Democrat & Chronicle. 8 January 2016. 5 February 2016. February 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160207222313/http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2016/01/08/accused-terrorist-emanuel-lutchtman-emotional-court-appearance/78506446/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=. live.
  18. News: LoBianco. Tom. Feds: New York man was planning ISIS attack on New Year's Eve. 25 February 2016. CNN. 1 January 2016. March 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304222252/http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/31/politics/new-york-isis-attack-rochester. live.
  19. Web site: Craig . Gary . FBI says Lutchman planned to kill wife . January 26, 2017 . Rochester Democrat and Chronicle . January 30, 2017 . January 27, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170127130613/http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2017/01/26/isil-sympathizer-lutchman-gets-20-years-foiled-terrorist-plot/96982812/ . live .
  20. White . Daniel . New York Man Pleads Guilty to New Year's Eve Terror Plot . August 11, 2016 . Time . January 30, 2017.
  21. News: Munich New Year alert 'part of EU-wide Isis plot'. The Local. 7 January 2016. July 14, 2016. August 20, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160820183239/http://www.thelocal.de/20160107/munich-new-year-alert-part-of-eu-wide-isis-plot. live.
  22. News: Security and terrorism: Jittery backdrops to New Year's Eve around the world. CNN. 31 December 2016. July 14, 2016. August 18, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160818065003/http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/31/world/new-years-eve-terrorism-security-concerns/. live.

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