News, March 2004

3/11 investigations, resumé end March

Just over two weeks after the terrorist bombings in Madrid, the Spanish police have made good progress in their investigations: 20 have been arrested, including (as accused) the man who stole the explosive, the man who made the bombs, who also placed some and another who placed the bombs, plus the location where they were made and the vehicle they used to get to the start of their rail journey. Three key suspects, including the supposed gang leader, are still missing.

Arrests

Among the arrested is only one Spaniard, José Emilio Suárez Trashorras, who has given full evidence of his involvement in the robbery of the explosive, although he was not aware of the potential consequences. He lives in the mining region of Asturias and works in a mine. He has identified some of the people who were involved in buying the explosive from him including 'the chemist' Abderrahim Zbakn, who has also been identified by passengers on one of the bombed trains. Also identified by passengers is Jamal Zougam. Both these and most of the others arrested are Moroccans, some identified by Moroccan police as having been involved in the Casablanca bombing last year. Jamal Zougam was also identified as having lived in Darmstadt, Germany, for a time, where he signed up for a course at the university. However, the little evidence in the flat he rented has not given any help, except to show that he was not studying too seriously! Of the other 17 arrested to date, over half have been detained unconditionally under anti-terrorist legisation, pending more investigations. They include two Indians, involved in the provision of mobile phones used to detonate the bombs, beside other things. The rest are all Maroccans, including one woman. Three other prime suspects, including the man believed to be the leader of the gang, remain to be arrested.

For a full list of the arrested suspects, see: http://www.elmundo.es/documentos/2004/03/espana/atentados11m/detenciones.html

Evidence

The first evidence came from the porter of a building in alcalá de Henares, who saw three men getting out of a van dressed in hats and scarves, despite it being a warm spring morning. After the event, he commented on this to a neighbour and they decided to alert the police. When police checked out the van they discovered seven detonators, like one which failed to go off, as well as a tape containing Coranic verses. The van had been stolen. This began to alert the police to the possibility that this was no ETA bombing, as was -from habit- first suspected.

This suspicion received an initial confirmation in a letter from the Abu Hafs Al Masri Brigades, in the name of Al Quaeda, sent to a London Arabic paper, Al Quds Al Arabi.

Another piece of most helpful evidence was the unexploded bomb, found on the train at El Pozo station. The design again showed that it was different to the usual ETA design, although the explosive was Spanish. Study of the mobile phone used in this bomb led to the first arrests.

By 14th March, secret police investigations had also led them to place a watch on a house in the village of Morata de Tajuña, some 35 Km south east of Madrid. Finally, when none of the suspects appeared on the scene, on the night of 26th March, the police proceeded to search the house and discovered more detonators and explosive, together with other items, such as documents.

For a full commentary on the evidence found: http://www.elmundo.es/documentos/2004/03/espana/atentados11m/pistas.html