German police today arrested three people who are suspected of planning "massive" terrorists attacks on the United States and other German targets. In foiling the attacks, authorities say that they prevented the deaths of "many, many people."

The suspects were arrested yesterday at a house in Oberschledorn, a village in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Two of the suspects were Germans, and the third was a Turkish national. Bomb-making materials and military detonators were seized.

The three suspects are allegedly members of a local cell of the Islamist terrorist organization Jihad Union, which has links to al-Qaeda.

Police are calling the planned attacks "one of the worst terror acts ever planed in Germany." Attacks were planned on sites in Germany frequented by American citizens, including bars, transport facilities, and discos.

The hyrdogen peroxide based liquid explosives seized were equiavlent to 550 kilograms of TNT, which is greater explosive power than the Madrid bombings of 2004 and the London bombings of 2005.