Copenhagen Bomber

(Copenhagen, Denmark) Last Friday, an explosion in the bathroom of Hotel Jørgensen in central Copenhagen resulted in the arrest of one man and the determination that it was a failed terrorist attack.

Police arrested the man, reportedly carrying identification from two foreign countries, in nearby H.C. Ørsted Park with a bag attached to his waist.

The area was quickly cordoned off, and despite injuries to his face and arm the man was left immobilised on the ground for about five hours until a bomb squad robot could remove the bag and detonate it.



Injured suspect going to hospital
The detonation could be heard throughout the immediate area, but a police spokesman declined to comment on the bag’s possible contents, saying only that it was ‘no longer a concern’.

On Saturday, with evidence that the botched bombing was a failed terror attack, security was increased nationwide with particular attention directed to the Copenhagen Airport. At the hospital, the suspect refused to talk to the police.

Late Sunday, police released photos of the bombing suspect and appealed to the public for any information regarding the incident or the suspect.



The suspect is seen with a goatee and dark hair.

Officials also released the three false names the man had used: Raoul Foltz, David Francois de Vicq de Cumptich and Hans Velle.

Hotels in the Copenhagen area have been asked to check their records for guests using those names.

The suspect is about 6-feet tall and is known to speak French, German and English.

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[Update 9/13/10, 2100EDT] Note that a post-splody picture of the suspect hasn't been released because the ka-boom apparently rearranged his face. One observer suggests not enough.

In any event, the wounds are not believed to be the reason the suspect continues to remain silent. He has taken measures to hide his true identity. Hmmm....

Authorities have, however, distributed a picture of his artificial leg which had the serial number removed. Reportedly, the model is sold in Western Europe.


Ominously, when the mystery bomber was apprehended, he had a map on which the offices of Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten were circled. Jyllands-Posten is presumably a target since it ran the Mohammad cartoons.

In other details, one source suggested the suspect was from North Africa or the Balkans and he was carrying a bus ticket for Belgium which would seem to indicate he wasn't on a suicide mission. Also, he reportedly speaks three languages but not Arabic. One has to wonder how the police know that.

Anyway, it's curious that the suspect has yet to be identified. Just how many one-legged, vegetarian, non-Arabic-speaking terrorists are there?

TJR companion posts here and here.