Police arrested three of the men in Germany in 2007. The fourth man was seized in Turkey.

Prosecutors say the group intended to carry out attacks on a range of military installations and civilian targets in Germany on behalf of the Islamic Jihad Union, a group that originated in Uzbekistan and is said to have close ties to the al-Qaeda terror network.

One of the defendants, a Turkish national who grew up in Germany, began Tuesday's hearing by telling the presiding judge he was ready to confess.

"I don't care whether you give me 20 or 30 years," Adem Y. said on the 15th day of the trial. "I just want this to be over, it's boring."

The accused then requested and was given permission to hold a meeting with the other three members of what's being called the "Sauerland" group, who are being held at separate correctional facilities. The name comes from the region of western Germany where three of the four were arrested

The other defendants are Fritz G. and Daniel S., who are German converts to Islam, and Attila S., a German national of Turkish origin. After the meeting, the other three agreed to join Adem Y. in pleading guilty and confessing.

The judge emphasized that he was only interested in full confessions and wanted "all the cards on the table, open, and none of them marked."

"Evidence overwhelming"

The evidence against the men, prosecutors say, is overwhelming.

Testifying last week, the chief police investigator, Ralf K., said the four men were overheard by police discussing September 11, 2007 as a possible date for an attack and they were issued orders, e-mailed to them from Pakistan, "to finish the job."

When police arrested them, on September 4, 2007, they were in possession of enough equipment to make explosives 100 times more powerful than those used in the 2005 London bombings. The authorities seized 26 detonators and 12 drums of hydrogen peroxide.

If convicted, the suspects could receive up to 15 years in prison.

gb/dpa/AFP

Editor: Chuck Penfold