Highlights
– Police raid homes in four towns near Barcelona, as well as in Madrid and Algeciras
– Suspects accused of harboring fugitives of the Madrid train bombing investigation
– Spain’s immigration asylum policies and proximity to North African terror networks place the country at risk for terrorist activities in the long-term
On October 16, 2008 Spanish National Police arrested 18 suspects of Moroccan origin in a series of terror raids in four towns near Barcelona, as well as in Madrid and Algeciras. Conducted on the orders of Judge Baltasar Garzon, the raids targeted a network that is accused of harboring Islamic extremists, including several suspects involved in the al-Qaeda inspired March 11, 2004 train bombings that killed 191 people . Investigators allege the suspects are linked to a 2005 police operation against a terror cell that was recruiting people to stage suicide attacks against US led forces in Iraq and other targets designated by al-Qaeda. Authorities report that the suspects range in age from 23 to 56, with four from Tangiers and the remainder from elsewhere in Morocco.
The raids reinforce the ongoing challenge Spain faces against Islamic terrorism, where extremists have used Spanish soil to plot attacks on public infrastructure and recruit fighters for al-Qaeda missions abroad. Earlier this year, Spanish authorities arrested 15 mainly Pakistani suspects in Barcelona on charges of planning attacks against the city’s public transportation network (Previous Report). In 2007 alone, Spanish authorities arrested 52 people alleged to have links to Islamist extremism, with hundreds more having been arrested in the country since the Madrid bombings.
With Spain’s proximity to Morocco and Algeria, where authorities have seen a resurgence in terrorist training activity, the country will remain a central focus for Islamic terror networks seeking to launch attacks against Western European nations in the long-term.
Links to Madrid Train Bombings
Authorities believe the 18 North Africans are suspected of providing shelter and aiding the escape of at least five suspects involved in the Madrid train bombings. One of the fugitives, who fled Spain after the Madrid bombings, died in a suicide attack in Iraq while another fugitive also died in Iraq while fighting coalition forces.
Last year, a Spanish court sentenced 21 people to over 40,000 years in jail for their roles in the attack. Five of the men have since been acquitted by the Supreme Court after appeals, and a small number of other suspects have yet to stand trial. A month after the attack, police chased three suspects to an apartment in Madrid, where they later blew themselves up.
Terror Presence in Barcelona
In January 2008, police arrested 14 people suspected of terrorist links. After five residences were searched, in addition to a mosque and a local bakery, police found various materials resembling explosives and materials commonly used to make explosives. According to the judge overseeing the arraignment of 11 of the suspects, the cell was planning an imminent attack on public transportation in Barcelona. Authorities believe that at least two of the suspects were prepared to be suicide bombers. In June 2008, Spain’s anti-terrorism court charged 11 of the suspects with belonging to a terrorist group.
A Gateway to Europe
Spain’s immigration policies are likely contributing to the continued presence of Islamic extremists found within its borders. In 2005, Spain granted amnesty for about 700,000 illegal immigrants, who filled many low paying labor jobs and led to an economic boom. Still, the country continues to struggle managing large flows of illegal immigrants from Morocco and Algeria, as well as from some developing countries.
Spain, along with fellow members of the European Union (EU), recently signed an immigration pact to pave the way for new immigration, integration and asylum policies. Nevertheless, we expect that Spain’s proximity to terror networks operating in North Africa will continue to present a point of entry and desirable haven for Islamist extremists in the long-term.
