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Testimony continues in Spain terror trial
 A suspect in the mass trial of 24 men accused of being part of Al-Qaeda's Spanish cell allegedly told interrogators two members of the group competed for its leadership. Abdulla Khayata Kattan, who is known as ' Abu Ibrahim ', was seen on a video telling interrogators in February 2004 that a Syrian known as ' Abu Dahdah ' and Ousama Darra vied to head the group. He also allegedly said the group sent recruits to fight as mujahedin in a holy Islamic war. A video recording of Abu Ibrahim being questioned by investigating judge Baltasar Garzon was played to the trial in Madrid. The judge had ordered this after Abu Ibrahim last week changed his story and told the trial Garzon had "put words into his mouth". | "There goes the judge trying to humiliate me again. We were talking about...our internal struggle. Kinda like when you really want ice cream but go for the rice cakes instead. You know, diet jihad." |
Garzon alleges that Darra is one of the "heads of a second Islamic extremist cell" in Spain. This group was said to rival that led by Abu Dahdah. Darra broke away from Abu Dahdah's cell when he went to live in Jordan with his Spanish wife and their three children in 1997. But Darra was said to have also clashed with another suspect, Jassem Mahboule, according to Abu Ibrahim. He told Garzon the two squabbled "like children".| Squabbling? By the Lions of Islam™? Color me shocked. |
Ousama Darra and Jassem Mahboule are due to give evidence to the court later. Twenty-four suspects are accused of forming part of an Al-Qaeda cell in Spain. Three of these, including Abu Dahdah, are accused of playing a role in the 9/11 attacks in the US. All deny the charges. The trial continues.
Posted by: seafarious 2005-05-10 |
