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| South Africa Charges Twins Over Plot to Attack U.S. Embassy and Join ISIS | South Africa Charges Twins Over Plot to Attack U.S. Embassy and Join ISIS |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| JOHANNESBURG — The South African authorities filed terrorism-related charges on Monday against twin brothers who they say plotted to attack the United States Embassy in South Africa and tried to fly to Syria to fight for the Islamic State. | |
| The brothers were arrested on Saturday, along with two accomplices, after investigators with the nation’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation found ammunition and grenades in a home belonging to one of the suspects in Johannesburg, said Hangwani Mulaudzi, a spokesman for the directorate. | |
| Mr. Mulaudzi said that the two brothers had planned to attack the embassy in Pretoria, the capital, as well as an unidentified “Jewish building” in the country. The other two suspects — a brother and a sister — face charges related to weapons possession, Mr. Mulaudzi said. | Mr. Mulaudzi said that the two brothers had planned to attack the embassy in Pretoria, the capital, as well as an unidentified “Jewish building” in the country. The other two suspects — a brother and a sister — face charges related to weapons possession, Mr. Mulaudzi said. |
| The arrests, Mr. Mulaudzi said, followed a 10-month investigation of the four suspects, who all live in Johannesburg and know one another. Last year, in two separate episodes, the authorities prevented the brothers from going to Syria — once by flying out of Johannesburg and the other time by traveling through Mozambique. | The arrests, Mr. Mulaudzi said, followed a 10-month investigation of the four suspects, who all live in Johannesburg and know one another. Last year, in two separate episodes, the authorities prevented the brothers from going to Syria — once by flying out of Johannesburg and the other time by traveling through Mozambique. |
| The arrests were a new development for South Africa, which has a small Muslim population and has not been known to be a hub of Islamic State activity. “There were cases where we’ve stopped people from traveling to Syria before, but in terms of an arrest, this is the first time,” Mr. Mulaudzi said. | |
| The brothers, Brandon-Lee Thulsie and Tony-Lee Thulsie, 23, appeared on Monday in Johannesburg Central Magistrate’s Court, where they were charged with “conspiracy and incitement to commit the crime of terrorism.” According to the charges, the brothers had acted since last October to “further the political, religious or ideological motives and objectives” of the Islamic State. | The brothers, Brandon-Lee Thulsie and Tony-Lee Thulsie, 23, appeared on Monday in Johannesburg Central Magistrate’s Court, where they were charged with “conspiracy and incitement to commit the crime of terrorism.” According to the charges, the brothers had acted since last October to “further the political, religious or ideological motives and objectives” of the Islamic State. |
| The brothers are scheduled to appear again in court on July 19, when more details could emerge about how far they had carried out their plans. | |
| Martin A. Ewi, a terrorism expert at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, said that the arrests possibly signaled a change in policy by the South African government. Until now, he said, the authorities had quietly tried to handle cases involving South Africans who tried to go to Syria, or even some who had gone and returned. | Martin A. Ewi, a terrorism expert at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, said that the arrests possibly signaled a change in policy by the South African government. Until now, he said, the authorities had quietly tried to handle cases involving South Africans who tried to go to Syria, or even some who had gone and returned. |
| “The government didn’t want to antagonize certain segments of South African society, so once they knew about you, you were warned and monitored and told to reintegrate yourself, and there were no cases of repeat behavior that we know of,” Mr. Ewi said. “But maybe they now feel that the situation is getting out of hand, or they may have had no alternative because the suspects didn’t change their behavior even though they were under surveillance since last year.” | “The government didn’t want to antagonize certain segments of South African society, so once they knew about you, you were warned and monitored and told to reintegrate yourself, and there were no cases of repeat behavior that we know of,” Mr. Ewi said. “But maybe they now feel that the situation is getting out of hand, or they may have had no alternative because the suspects didn’t change their behavior even though they were under surveillance since last year.” |
| Beyond isolated cases reported in the local news media, Mr. Ewi said, the authorities had kept such a tight lid on previous cases that it was impossible to know how many South Africans have been prevented from going to Syria or had actually succeeded in going. | |
| Officials at the United States Embassy in Pretoria declined to comment on the arrests. | |
| The arrests followed a recent travel advisory by the United States. The advisory angered the South African government, which said it was not based on well-founded intelligence. | The arrests followed a recent travel advisory by the United States. The advisory angered the South African government, which said it was not based on well-founded intelligence. |
| The American government warned it had “received information that terrorist groups are planning to carry out near-term attacks against places where U.S. citizens congregate in South Africa, such as upscale shopping areas and malls in Johannesburg and Cape Town,” the State Department said in its travel advisory on June 4. | The American government warned it had “received information that terrorist groups are planning to carry out near-term attacks against places where U.S. citizens congregate in South Africa, such as upscale shopping areas and malls in Johannesburg and Cape Town,” the State Department said in its travel advisory on June 4. |
| The British government followed suit by warning of a “high threat” from terrorism, advising its citizens: “Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners such as shopping areas in Johannesburg and Cape Town.” The Australian government, taking note of the United States advisory, told its citizens: “You are advised to be particularly vigilant in areas frequented by foreigners at this time.” | The British government followed suit by warning of a “high threat” from terrorism, advising its citizens: “Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners such as shopping areas in Johannesburg and Cape Town.” The Australian government, taking note of the United States advisory, told its citizens: “You are advised to be particularly vigilant in areas frequented by foreigners at this time.” |