Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BUCHAREST1054
2006-06-28 13:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bucharest
Cable title:
ROMANIAN ARRESTED FOR PLANNING CAR BOMBING IN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHBM #1054 1791339 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 281339Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4728 INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RUCNFB/FBI WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS BUCHAREST 001054
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/NCE WILLIAM SILKWORTH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PINS PINR ASEC RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIAN ARRESTED FOR PLANNING CAR BOMBING IN
TIMISOARA
UNCLAS BUCHAREST 001054
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/NCE WILLIAM SILKWORTH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PINS PINR ASEC RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIAN ARRESTED FOR PLANNING CAR BOMBING IN
TIMISOARA
1. (SBU) Romanian media have reported heavily on the arrest
June 26 of a Romanian man near Timisoara who allegedly
planned to detonate a car bomb in a busy intersection to
protest Romania's military contribution to Iraq and strong
relationship with the U.S. Suspect Ioan Florin Lesch, also
called Anynan Hassan Abger, had reportedly loaded the vehicle
with two containers of methane gas, which he had connected to
a remote control detonator. Police and the security services
reportedly stopped and arrested Lesch as he was en route to
carry out the attack. The Romanian Information Service (SRI)
Anti-Terrorist Brigade confirmed the arrest to the Embassy.
2. (U) Lesch had been under surveillance by security
services for over a year, according to the press, after he
reportedly informed associates that he supported the Islamic
Jihad and had contacts with members of the Muslim
Brotherhood. In days before his arrest, he also sent
video-messages via email to a number of Romanian and
international broadcast outlets, including Al Jazeera and
CNN. He reportedly converted from Romanian Orthodox to Islam
in 2002. The press also reported that the SRI claimed Lesch
had been trained in "religious Muslim camps" in Romania and
that he told interrogators he had traveled to Bosnia.
According to the press, Romanian security services had
intercepted telephone conversations and e-mail correspondence
in which Lesch deliberated over which crowded location he
should target.
3. (U) Media interviewed Lesch's mother and neighbors who
claimed to have had no knowledge of his religious conversion
or of his strong political views. They described him as an
eccentric show-off but not as dangerous. A number of news
outlets have also begun to accuse the SRI of exaggerating the
case. Lesch has reportedly been brought to Bucharest for
interrogation and expected indictment.
TAUBMAN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/NCE WILLIAM SILKWORTH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PINS PINR ASEC RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIAN ARRESTED FOR PLANNING CAR BOMBING IN
TIMISOARA
1. (SBU) Romanian media have reported heavily on the arrest
June 26 of a Romanian man near Timisoara who allegedly
planned to detonate a car bomb in a busy intersection to
protest Romania's military contribution to Iraq and strong
relationship with the U.S. Suspect Ioan Florin Lesch, also
called Anynan Hassan Abger, had reportedly loaded the vehicle
with two containers of methane gas, which he had connected to
a remote control detonator. Police and the security services
reportedly stopped and arrested Lesch as he was en route to
carry out the attack. The Romanian Information Service (SRI)
Anti-Terrorist Brigade confirmed the arrest to the Embassy.
2. (U) Lesch had been under surveillance by security
services for over a year, according to the press, after he
reportedly informed associates that he supported the Islamic
Jihad and had contacts with members of the Muslim
Brotherhood. In days before his arrest, he also sent
video-messages via email to a number of Romanian and
international broadcast outlets, including Al Jazeera and
CNN. He reportedly converted from Romanian Orthodox to Islam
in 2002. The press also reported that the SRI claimed Lesch
had been trained in "religious Muslim camps" in Romania and
that he told interrogators he had traveled to Bosnia.
According to the press, Romanian security services had
intercepted telephone conversations and e-mail correspondence
in which Lesch deliberated over which crowded location he
should target.
3. (U) Media interviewed Lesch's mother and neighbors who
claimed to have had no knowledge of his religious conversion
or of his strong political views. They described him as an
eccentric show-off but not as dangerous. A number of news
outlets have also begun to accuse the SRI of exaggerating the
case. Lesch has reportedly been brought to Bucharest for
interrogation and expected indictment.
TAUBMAN