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Europe
Madrid Bombing Defendants Start Hunger Strike
2007-05-11
(AKI) - In a surprise move, some of the main defendants in the maxi-trial for the 2004 Madrid train bombings began a hunger strike on Thursday. According to various Spanish websites Youssef Belhadj, Hassan el Haski, Rabei Osman el Sayed (known as Mohammed the Egyptian, arrested in Italy in June 2004) and Abdeljamid Bouchard announced their decision in letters sent to the prison authorities. The first three are considered the "brains" behind the 11 March, 2004 attack in which 191 people were killed. The prosecution says the fourth, Abdeljamid Bouchard, was one of those who physically carried out the bombings.

The hunger strikers argue that the accusations against them are unjust and during Thursday's hearing some defendants managed to show two protest placards to the television cameras. They say their situation is unbearable.
I have a potential solution ...
The strike acquires additional weight in Spain because it comes after a controversy that has far from died down. In March the convicted terrorist of ETA, Iñaki De Juana Chaos was granted house arrest after a 100 day hunger strike. He was transfered from a Madrid hospital to the Basque country for what the Zapatero government referred to as "humanitarian reasons". Several days ago, De Juana Chaos - now completely recovered - was photographed while he was strolling with his girlfriend and the controversy re-exploded amid criticism of the government of being 'soft' on convicted ETA terrorists.
Way to go, Zappy, now that you've made your bed ...
Posted by:Fred

#10  The racine burgers are always ready in case they change their minds.
Posted by: Hammerhead   2007-05-11 16:25  

#9  Not much different between the Socialists in Spain and the Dummycrats in Washington, except there hasn't been a terrorist attack to help bring them to power. They simply use lies, deceit, and the complicity of the MSM to achieve their goals. That doesn't make the stink any less appalling.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2007-05-11 16:21  

#8  Indeed. JFM's translations were a fascinating look into the underbelly of Socialists plotting to take power, no holds barred. It was quite an eye opener for me, still terribly naive after all these years.
Posted by: trailing wife   2007-05-11 11:38  

#7  Nope. The goal had been reached: installing Zapatero. Listen, there is a lot of info available in Spanish about the falsifications and coverups in the investigation. You have everything. Bombs who suddenly appear in police station between debris who had been thoroughly searched, sniffer dogs who sniff nothing in a minivan, their trainer looks in the minivan dinds it empty and then once it is moved to police statiion they find explosives, clothes full of DNA, no analysisi of the explosives used in the trains... Oh and the Socialist Party has showed an enormous interest in trying to snuff out the investigation.

In case you think I am a conspiranoid I can provide you with the URLS to the antiterrorist court who is trying them. You will get it direct from the horsemouth. Provided you can read Spanish.

I translated some of the material for Rantburg but at one point I was moderated.
Posted by: JFM   2007-05-11 10:31  

#6  Well you'd think if it was NOT them there would have been other attacks. Since the real perps would presumably still be at large.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2007-05-11 09:55  

#5  Bigjim, have you paid attention? It was NOT them.
Posted by: JFM   2007-05-11 08:35  

#4  They say their situation is unbearable.



Don't do the crime if you can't do the time...
Posted by: Raj   2007-05-11 08:18  

#3  This is f*cking insane. These guys deserve to be shot, hung, and castrated all at the same time.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2007-05-11 07:33  

#2  As I said, the clues who led to arrests of islamists just before the elections appear to have been fabrivcated. By the way the judgement is looking more and more like a farce with crucial analysis not having been performed, with 90% suspects who were police informants and prosecution witnesses contradicting not only one another but at times themselves.
Posted by: JFM   2007-05-11 04:36  

#1  They aren't pious enough to see it through.
Posted by: gorb   2007-05-11 03:15  

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