Dutch radical Islamic group planned Euro 2004 attack in Portugal: police

0 Comments | AFP, November, 2004

LISBON (AFP) — Three members of an extremist Dutch Islamic group were arrested and deported from Portugal just before the Euro 2004 football championship in June on suspicion of planning an attack, the former head of Portugal's police force said in comments published.

The men were arrested June 11 in Oporto, one day before the northern Portuguese city hosted the opening match of the championship, Adelino Salvado told the Portuguese daily Diario de Noticias.

The Dutch interior ministry last week identified the three as belonging to the so-called Hofstad group, which has been linked to the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh earlier this month.

Salvado said he suspected the group wanted to target former prime minister Jose Manuel Barroso, who resigned in July to...