UNCLAS FRANKFURT 000694

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/AGS, EUR/PGI, S/CT

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER SMIG ASEC KISL GM
SUBJECT: Muslim Extremists Deported from Baden-Wuerttemberg


Sensitive but unclassified; not for internet distribution.


1. (U) SUMMARY: State authorities deported two Islamic extremists
from Baden-Wuerttemberg (B-W) in late January according to reports
from the state interior ministry. B-W Interior Minister Rech cites
the deportations as evidence of his state's strong anti-extremism
efforts. The deportees hail from Algeria and Mauritania. END
SUMMARY.


2. (U) On February 1, B-W Interior Minister Heribert Rech announced
the deportation of two Muslim extremists on January 24 and January

26. Pointing to the deportations as examples of the state's tough
stance against Islamic extremism, Rech stated "whoever threatens our
security has no place here and must leave Germany as soon as
possible." Rech also said that extremists are "enemies of our
society and democracy" and that he would use all legal means to
fight them. Rech reported that since June 2004 the state has
deported six Muslim extremists and another six have left
voluntarily.


3. (SBU) The B-W interior ministry reports that one of the deportes
is an Algerian who had been under investigatin for supporting a
terrorist organization and fo possible participation in the
attempted attack t a Christmas market in Strasbourg, France in

2000. Although the federal prosecutor's investigation of the
matter ended in 2005, the interior minisry concluded that the
Algerian's continued residncy in Germany presented significant
security cocerns, hence the January deportation. The B-W interior
ministry also said that earlier attempts to eport the Algerian were
unsuccessful due to a lak of appropriate travel documents and
because hethen "disappeared" following the conclusion of the
investigation in 2005. An "intensive" law enforcement operation led
to the Algerian's recent captre in Mannheim; after which he was
held in custoy until the January deportation. B-W interior
mnistry contacts were unwilling to release the name but confirmed
to a consulate representative that the Algerian was associated with
the group involed in the attempted Strasbourg attack and had
orginally been released due to lack of evidence.

. (U) The other deportee is a Mauritanian nationalwho was
reportedly an Imam and Koran instructor at the now-banned
"Multi-Culutural House" in Neu-Um (Bavaria). In December 2006,
Tuebingen (B-W) fficials ordered his deportation. Facing this
oder and pressure from the authorities, he departedGermany of his
own volition on January 26.


5. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Berlin.

POWELL