Austrian teachers learn to spot jihadists

VIENNA , Nov. 4 (UPI) -- The headmasters of 150 Vienna, Austria, schools are receiving instruction Tuesday in spotting potential Islamist militants in their schools.

Lectures at the Vienna College of Education include presentations by Ednan Aslan of the University of Vienna's Islamic Education department and Erich Zwettler, head of the Vienna State Protection agency. Organizer Heinz Ivkovits said Aslan would talk on the differences between "peaceful Islam and a radicalized form which is focused on violence"; Zwettler's talk concerns how teachers can identify a "jihadist threat."

Zwettler, in an interview with Radio Wien, urged teachers to look for the signs of radicalization in students. He added police are focused on preventing young Austrians from traveling to Syria or Iraq to join Islamic state militants. Police are aware of 60 people identified as returned from the area of fighting to Austria are all adults, he said. The Austrian government said 140 have left the country to fight for IS.

The classes come after a 14-year-old boy, identified as Mertkan G, was arrested last week in Vienna for allegedly planning to detonate explosives in Westbahnhof, one of Vienna's busiest railway stations. The boy, the son of Turkish immigrants, allegedly was offered $25,000 by IS to carry out the terrorism, and said he conspired with two others still at large.