Suspected German coup plot spawns dozens of arrests

By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — German police have rounded up dozens of people including a self-styled prince, a retired paratrooper and a former judge, accusing the suspects of discussing the overthrow of the government, but leaving unclear how concrete the plans were. A German official and a lawmaker said Wednesday that investigators may have detected real plotting, drunken fantasizing, or both. Germany takes any right-wing threat extremely seriously, and thousands of police carried out pre-dawn raids across the country. A government spokesman says the group planned to violently abolish Germany’s state of law and carry out an armed attack on the parliament building. A lawmaker with the Green party, part of the government, suggested the group may not have been capable.