1998 World Cup terror plot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From March to May 1998, a terror plot against the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France was uncovered by European law enforcement agencies.[1][2] More than 100 people were arrested in seven countries as a result of the plot, although only some of them were tried or convicted.[3] Organised by the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (GIA) and backed by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the plot is thought to have targeted the England–Tunisia match on 15 June 1998, and involved infiltrating the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille in order to attack players and spectators during the game, attack the hotel in Paris hosting the United States national team, and finally hijacking an aircraft and crashing it into the Civaux Nuclear Power Plant near Poitiers.[3]
The original suspect of the plot was French-Algerian Farid Melouk, who had previously been sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison in France for his connection to the 1995 Paris Métro and RER bombings.[4][5][6] Melouk had reportedly been tracked by intelligence services following his entry into Belgium, where he was found to be in contact with Ahmed Zaoui and a GIA-linked Brussels mosque.[7] On 3 March, after two weeks of surveillance, 50 police officers stormed a house where Melouk was staying with others involved in the plot.[8] Ten people including Swedish and Danish nationals were arrested in the 12-hour siege, amid a series of anti-terrorism raids in Belgium.[2][4][5] Large amounts of liquid explosives were found during the raid, as well as detonators, a Kalashnikov rifle, several handguns and thousands of US dollars in cash.[8][9] In addition, a large number of documents, brochures and maps relating to the World Cup were retrieved.[8][9] More explosives were uncovered in a follow-up raid of another house.[2]
The March raid was part of a joint security operation between Belgium, France, Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom.[2] Despite initial Belgian claims denying links to any plot against the World Cup, the plot was later confirmed by the French counter-intelligence chief.[10] Melouk was sentenced to 9 years in prison for charges including attempted murder.[10] In early May, eight suspected militants linked to the plot were arrested in the United Kingdom.[9][11]
On 26 May, 88 people were detained in co-ordinated operations across France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Germany.[1][2][10] In France, 53 men including Algerian, French and Tunisian nationals suspected of links to ex-GIA commander Hassan Hattab were detained across 43 locations, including in Marseilles, Paris, Lyon and Corsica;[9][12] 40 were released within two days.[13] Five Algerians were arrested in Germany after raids across several cities, ten in Belgium, two in Switzerland, six in Italy, and many more detained.[9][14] The French Interior Minister, Jean-Pierre Chevènement, said on French television after the arrests that investigators had found evidence of plots to attack the World Cup.[1] Islamist paraphernalia and $150,000 in cash were found during the raids, but no explosives or arms.[1][9] 24 people were taken to trial, of which eight were convicted.[13] Some police sources have said that a goal of the May raids was to crush GIA support networks.[9] According to one counterterrorism official, the resort to mass arrests during this period which included several other cases such as those of the "Chalabi network" reflected the need for intelligence about radical Islamist networks.[13] According to a counter-terrorism magistrate, Jean-Louis Bruguière, the May raids were a preventive measure to protect the tournament.[2]
