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Spanish cops ignored 3/11 tip
 Spanish intelligence agents warned police in November last year that an Algerian - now identified as a ringleader of the Madrid train bombings - was preparing an attack in Spain. The agents asked the Interior Ministry for urgent help in locating the suspect, Allekema Lamari, who had served jail time in Spain on terrorism charges and was considered dangerous. But the ministry did not heed the warning, El Pais newspaper said.
"Who was that on the phone, Juan-Carlos?"
"One of those intelligence guys."
"What'd he want?"
"I dunno. Somethin' about an Algerian or a Moroccan or somethin'. Got any more of those doughnuts?" |
The newspaper quoted sources close to Spain's National Intelligence Centre (NIC). "We knew he was preparing something big, but not his target or when, although signs were it would be in December 2003 or January of this year," the newspaper quoted a source close to the NIC as saying. The Interior Ministry and Spanish police declined to comment on the report.
"El Pais is on the phone, Jefe!"
"Tell 'em I'm out!" |
Last Friday, the ministry said it had identified Lamari as one of seven train-bombing suspects who blew themselves up on April 3 as police prepared to storm their apartment. Lamari (39) was the last of the seven to be identified.
| "Okay. We got two lips left over. They appear to go together. Now, who do they belong to?" |
Spanish police checked DNA from his remains at the apartment against saliva samples obtained from his parents in Algeria.
"Infidel!"
"Just spit in the cup, lady! Not on me!" |
Spanish intelligence placed Lamari under surveillance when he got out of prison in 2002, after serving five years for allegedly belonging to an Algerian Muslim extremist group. El Pais said that on March 6, five days before the Madrid train bombings, the NIC issued a report to the then-conservative government, warning that Lamari had vanished from Lavapies, a Madrid neighbourhood with a large Muslim population.
"What do you mean, 'vanished'? Evaporated?"
"Uh... No, Jefe! We went out for lunch, and when we got back he wudn't there!"
"That ain't no definition of 'vanished' I ever heard!" |
Several Moroccans later arrested in connection with the bombings also lived in Lavapies. Five days after the attack, agents asked that Lamari's photo be released to police nationwide, but the government did not act on this either, the newspaper said.
"More doughnuts, Juan-Carlos?"
"Why, thank you, Juan-Pedro!" |
Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-10-20 |
