China says 35 arrested in Olympics bomb plot

[BruteForce]

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Islamic terrorists planned to attack Beijing, Shanghai and other Chinese locations with poisonous gas and explosives to sabotage the Summer Olympic Games, China announced Thursday.



Construction workers stand in front of Beijing's National Stadium in January.

Chinese authorities arrested 35 suspects during a 10-day series of raids that ended on Sunday, according to a statement from the Ministry of Public Security.

The raids in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, also netted about 21 pounds (9.5 kg) of explosives, eight detonators, two explosive devices, and some propaganda materials for "holy war."

"We know that their goal was very clear -- that is, specifically to sabotage the staging of the Beijing Olympics," Communist Party Secretary Wang Lequan said.

The Xinjiang autonomous region in northwestern China is home to about 19 million people, most of them Muslims and other minorities. Many oppose Beijing's rule.

Chinese authorities have not provided evidence or sources to the public regarding any terror plot.

More Follows


----
As far as I know, this is the first attempt at terrorism that's been acknowledged by the Chinese.

[RTO]

I don't know exactly when it happened, but sometime after they re-started the modern Olympics in April of 1896, some people got the fucking idea this was a political event and not a sporting event to crown the worlds best non-professional athletes.

Then some fuckers decided this may as well be for professional basketball players and other pro atheletes as well. It used to be all about national pride. Now it seems it's all about steroids and cheating and individual glory and marketing contracts. I'm sure there are still good amature atheletes out there, and it's a damn shame for them their win doesn't mean what it used to anymore.

Fuck the Olympics. I don't watch them (any more). I loved the movie 'Chariots of Fire' and I used to sit glued to the TV as a child. Absolutely riveted by the spectacle, now, I just don't care anymore.

[ANGRYCivilian]

What do you think China's reaction would have been if the terrorist attacks happened instead of being stopped? I guess what I'm asking, is who thinks China would do as we are doing, hunting them down and destroying them all?

Or, would China just blame it on the West?

[Bulldawgs07]

China always classifies dissidents as "terrorists" (including the Dalai lama of all people). My guess is this was just an excuse to arrest some anti-government agitators who might embarass the dictatorship at the games with protests or something.

[Steadfast]

Lately all I hear is Hillary's voice to boycott the Chinese Olympics because of what China is doing in Tibet/Nepal.

A few years ago Hillary wrote her book with a chapter on Tinnamin(sp?) Square. The Chinese gov't told Hillary they would buy X million copies of her book if the Tinnamin Square chapter were removed and she said to China - No problemo chapter removed, sold. So Hillary sacrificed her integerity for $. So in effect I do not hold her words to weigh more than a grain of sand.

[IDon'tCare]

What do you think China's reaction would have been if the terrorist attacks happened instead of being stopped? I guess what I'm asking, is who thinks China would do as we are doing, hunting them down and destroying them all?

Or, would Clive just blame it on the West?

[K.Ingraham]

China always classifies dissidents as "terrorists" (including the Dalai lama of all people). My guess is this was just an excuse to arrest some anti-government agitators who might embarass the dictatorship at the games with protests or something.

You got it right.
Whether or not this was a real islamic terror plot, the PRC will use games security as a means of repression across the board.