German who plotted to attack Americans gets early release

BERLIN – A lawyer for a German convert to Islam who was convicted over a thwarted plan to attack American soldiers and civilians in Germany has been granted early release from prison.

Fritz Gelowicz was one of four men arrested in 2007 and convicted in 2010. A Duesseldorf court found that they operated as a cell of the radical Islamic Jihad Union and plotted to attack Americans at facilities including the U.S. Air Force's Ramstein Air Base.

Gelowicz was sentenced to 12 years in prison for membership in a terrorist organization, conspiracy to commit murder and preparing an explosive device.

Lawyer Dirk Uden said late Tuesday that the Duesseldorf state court released Gelowicz after he served more than two-thirds of his sentence, as is common in Germany.