SPAIN: 2002 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MADRID 004435 S/CT FOR REAP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER SP SUBJECT: SPAIN: 2002 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT SPAIN MAINTAINED ITS STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE U.S. IN THE WAR ON TERROR THROUGHOUT 2002 AND IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY ADVOCATES WITHIN THE EU FOR ENHANCING MECHANISMS TO FIGHT TERRORISM. THE FOLLOWING IS THE 2002 TERRORISM REPORT SUBMISSION FOR SPAIN. ¶A. GOS SUPPORT FOR GLOBAL ANTI/TERRORISM COALITION -------------- -------------- ¶1. ACTIONS AGAINST AL QAEDA OPERATIVES BUILDING ON ARRESTS MADE IN 2001, SPANISH LAW ENFORCEMENT MADE ADDITIONAL ARRESTS OF AL QAEDA ASSOCIATES DURING 2002. IN JANUARY, POLICE ARRESTED MOROCCAN CITIZEN NAJIB CHAIB MOHAMED IN A BARCELONA SUBURB. CHAIB MOHAMED WAS ACCUSED OF BELONGING TO A TERRORIST CELL HEADED BY IMAD EDDIN BARAKAT YARKAS, ALSO KNOWN AS ABU DAHDAH, WHO WAS ARRESTED IN SPAIN IN NOVEMBER 2001. SPANISH POLICE BELIEVE DAHDAH/YARKAS WAS AL QAEDA'S LEADING OPERATIVE AND RECRUITER IN SPAIN. HE REMAINS IN CUSTODY. CHAIB MOHAMED WAS ALSO CHARGED WITH FALSIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS AND CREDIT CARD FRAUD. ON APRIL 13, THE SPANISH CIVIL GUARD ARRESTED AHMED BRAHIM, AN ALGERIAN NATIONAL WITH SPANISH RESIDENCY, AND CHARGED HIM WITH "COLLABORATION WITH AN ARMED GROUP." FOUR OTHER INDIVIDUALS HOLDING FRENCH PASSPORTS WERE WITH BRAHIM AT THE TIME AND WERE DETAINED BUT LATER RELEASED. THE ARREST WAS PRECIPITATED BY THE SALE OF PROPERTY AND OTHER ACTIONS THAT APPEARED TO BE PREPARATIONS ON THE PART OF BRAHIM TO LEAVE SPAIN. THE SPANISH CIVIL GUARD ACCUSED BRAHIM OF FINANCING SOME TERRORIST "SLEEPER" CELLS, OF ORGANIZING AL QAEDA'S INVESTMENTS IN SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, AND OF SHELTERING ISLAMIC TERRORISTS. BRAHIM REMAINS IN CUSTODY. ON APRIL 23, POLICE ARRESTED MOHAMMED GALEB KALAJE ZOUAYDI, ALIAS ABU THALHA, A NATURALIZED SPANISH CITIZEN OF SYRIAN DESCENT. ZOUAYDI HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ARRESTED IN NOVEMBER 2001, ALONG WITH ABU DAHDAH (YARKAS),AND HAD BEEN SET FREE SHORTLY THEREAFTER FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE. AN ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTS SEIZED PURSUANT TO SEARCH WARRANTS EXECUTED AT BOTH HIS RESIDENCE AND AT HIS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY DURING THE 2001 ARREST PROMPTED HIS RE-ARREST AND SUPPORTED THE CHARGE THAT ZOUAYDI IS A PRINCIPAL FINANCIER FOR THE AL QAEDA NETWORK. ON JULY 7, 2002, THE SPANISH NATIONAL POLICE ARRESTED FOUR SYRIAN-BORN MALES (SPANISH RESIDENTS) WITH TIES TO THE AL QAEDA ORGANIZATION. THIS OPERATION WAS DIRECTED BY SPANISH NATIONAL COURT JUDGE BALTASAR GARZON AND WAS A CONTINUATION OF THE OPERATION ("OPERATION DATIL") TO DISMANTLE THE AL QAEDA TERRORIST ORGANIZATION IN SPAIN. ONE OF THE DETAINEES, GHASOUB AL-ABRASH, BELONGED TO A RADICAL ORGANIZATION KNOWN AS THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD. AL-ABRASH (GHASOUB) HAD BEEN DETAINED EARLIER IN 2002 AS PART OF "OPERATION DATIL" BUT HAD BEEN RELEASED. DURING THIS INITIAL ARREST, POLICE SEIZED SEVERAL VIDEOTAPES FROM HIM. IT WAS LATER REVEALED THAT DURING A TRIP AL ABRASH (GHASOUB) MADE TO THE U.S. IN 1997, HE MADE VIDEO RECORDINGS OF INSTALLATIONS, CONSTRUCTION SITES AND US LANDMARKS. THE LANDMARKS INCLUDED THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. THE STYLE AND DURATION OF THE TAPES INDICATED THEY WERE NOT RECORDED FOR TOURIST PURPOSES. IN SEPTEMBER 2002, JUDGE GARZON ORDERED THE RELEASE ON BAIL OF THE FOUR SYRIAN-BORN SUSPECTS. BAIL RANGED FROM $60,000 TO $150,000. GARZON SAID HE HAD TO DO THIS BECAUSE HE LACKED EVIDENCE SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE HIGH SPANISH LEGAL STANDARD FOR HOLDING INDIVIDUALS IN CUSTODY PENDING TRIAL. GARZON SAID HE BELIEVED THE SUSPECTS HAD LINKS TO TERRORIST CELLS AND PLEDGED THAT THE INVESTIGATION INTO THEIR ACTIVITIES WOULD CONTINUE. ¶2. DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS SPAIN HAS SUPPORTED THE RECONSTRUCTION OF AFGHANISTAN WITH HUMANITARIAN AND DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE. THROUGH THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2002, SPAIN HAD PROVIDED OVER USD 60 MILLION IN ASSISTANCE FOR AGRICULTURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, HUMANITARIAN, TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND OTHER PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, THE SPANISH COUNCIL OF MINISTERS APPROVED IN NOVEMBER A NON- REIMBURSABLE CREDIT LINE OF USD 12 MILLION TO AFGHANISTAN FOR RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS. SPAIN HAS PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT MATERIAL SUPPORT TO OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (SEE SECTION F.) ¶3. BLOCKING OF TERRORIST ASSETS SPAIN HAS COOPERATED WITH THE U.S. IN BLOCKING TERRORIST- FINANCED ASSETS, AND THE GOS IS SEEKING GREATER AUTHORITY TO IMPROVE THAT COOPERATION. THE GOVERNMENT SENT DRAFT LEGISLATION TO THE SPANISH PARLIAMENT IN MARCH 2002 THAT WOULD FACILITATE THE ADMINISTRATIVE FREEZING OF BANK ACCOUNTS OF TERRORIST GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS. PASSAGE IS EXPECTED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2003. SPAIN ALSO CHAIRS WITH THE U.S. THE FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE (FATF) WORKING GROUP ON TERRORISM FINANCE. DURING 2002, THE EU INCLUDED THE NAMES OF 28 ETA MEMBERS SUBMITTED BY SPAIN TO ITS LISTS OF PERSONS/ORGANIZATIONS AGAINST WHOM MEASURES TO COMBAT TERRORISM FINANCING ARE TO BE TAKEN. SPANISH LEADERS HAVE SAID THEY WOULD LIKELY MAKE A REQUEST TO INCLUDE THE POLITICAL PARTY BATASUNA AND ITS LEADERS (ETA'S POLITICAL WING) IN SUCH A LIST IF SPANISH COURTS DECLARE BATASUNA ILLEGAL. IN THIS EVENT (WHICH COULD HAPPEN IN 2003),SPAIN WOULD ALSO LIKELY APPROACH THE US FOR SIMILAR LISTINGS. ¶4. COUNTER-TERRORISM LAWS A NEW LAW REFORMING THE SPANISH NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER WENT INTO EFFECT IN MAY. ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE LAW IS TO PROMOTE COOPERATION BETWEEN SPANISH INTELLIGENCE SERVICES AND THOSE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. KEEPING TRACK OF ISLAMIST EXTREMIST CELLS IN SPAIN IS A HIGH PRIORITY OF THE SPANISH POLICE AND INTELLIGENCE SERVICES. A NEW "LAW OF POLITICAL PARTIES" WENT INTO EFFECT IN JUNE. THE LAW ESTABLISHES A JUDICIAL PROCESS TO DE-LEGALIZE POLITICAL PARTIES THAT PROVIDE CONCRETE SUPPORT TO TERRORIST GROUPS. IN OCTOBER, THE GOVERNING POPULAR PARTY AND THE MAIN OPPOSITION SOCIALIST PARTY AGREED TO SUPPORT JOINTLY A DRAFT LAW TO INCREASE SECURITY FOR POLITICIANS IN THE BASQUE REGION WHO ARE THREATENED WITH ASSASSINATION. THE LAW WOULD INCREASE FUNDING TO PROVIDE MORE BODYGUARDS AND OTHER PROTECTION FOR LOCAL POLITICIANS. THE DRAFT LAW IS ON A FAST TRACK; THE PARLIAMENT MAY PASS IT IN LATE DECEMBER ¶2002. ¶5. IN MAY, SPAIN RATIFIED THE UN CONVENTION ON SUPPRESSION OF TERRORIST FINANCING. SPAIN HAS NOW RATIFIED ALL 12 OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTIONS ON TERRORISM. ¶B. RESPONSE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM -------------- ¶1. ON AUGUST 26, JUDGE GARZON ISSUED AN ORDER CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION OF BATASUNA'S (ETA POLITICAL WING) PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ACTIVITIES FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. THE SUSPENSION COULD BE EXTENDED TO A TOTAL OF FIVE YEARS. THE ORDER INCLUDED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE CLOSING OF ALL BATASUNA OFFICES AND THE FREEZING OF ANY BATASUNA FINANCIAL ASSETS. LOCAL, REGIONAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENTS (AS WELL AS THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT) ARE PROHIBITED FROM SUBSIDIZING BATASUNA. THE ORDER ALSO PROHIBITS ANY PRIVATE DONATIONS TO BATASUNA. ¶2. AS OF NOVEMBER, SPANISH POLICE HAD ARRESTED 120 PERSONS FOR ASSOCIATION WITH OR MEMBERSHIP IN ETA, AND DISMANTLED 13 ETA "CELLS." ¶3. ON NOVEMBER 21, JUDGE GARZON ISSUED AN ORDER ACCUSING 22 BATASUNA MEMBERS OF BELONGING TO ETA. THIS ORDER EXPANDED ON THE ONE GARZON ISSUED AUGUST 26 (FIRST PARAGRAPH IN THIS SECTION). OUT OF THE 22 BATASUNA LEADERS, SIX ARE MEMBERS OF THE BASQUE REGIONAL PARLIAMENT. ¶4. IN OCTOBER, THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ASKED THE NATIONAL COURT TO ISSUE AN ORDER SUSPENDING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE RECONSTRUCTED COMMUNIST PARTY OF SPAIN, WHICH IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE POLITICAL ARM OF THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION GRAPO. IN ADDITION TO THIS, DURING 2002, TWENTY-TWO MEMBERS OF GRAPO WERE ARRESTED, EIGHT OF THEM IN PARIS AND THE REST IN SPAIN (VITORIA, MADRID AND VALLADOLID). AS OF NOVEMBER, GRAPO HAD NOT CONDUCTED ANY TERRORIST ACTS IN SPAIN IN 2002. ¶C. EXTRADITION OF TERRORISTS -------------- SINCE THE SIGNING IN OCTOBER 2001 OF A BILATERAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN FRANCE AND SPAIN FOR TEMPORARY DELIVERY OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS IMPRISONED IN FRANCE TO STAND TRIAL IN SPAIN, FRANCE HAS TRANSFERRED PRISONERS UNDER THE AGREEMENT THREE TIMES. IN ADDITION TO THESE TEMPORARY DELIVERIES, FRANCE HAS EXTRADITED TO SPAIN FOUR ETA MEMBERS AND HAS EXPELLED ONE. SPAIN HAS BEEN A STRONG PROPONENT WITHIN THE EU OF THE EUROPEAN WIDE ARREST AND DETENTION ORDER (THE "EURO-ORDER"), WHICH IT HOPES TO APPLY TO TERRORISTS ONCE THE MEASURE GOES INTO FORCE IN THE EU. (SEE SECTION F). ¶D. IMPEDIMENTS TO EXTRADITION -------------- SPAIN HAS ALSO BEEN A STRONG PROPONENT WITHIN THE EU OF AN EU-WIDE EXTRADITION AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S. HOWEVER, SPAIN SUPPORTS THE EU CONSENSUS OF OPPOSING EXTRADITION TO THE U.S. IF A PRISONER WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE DEATH PENALTY. A U.S. REQUEST FOR EXTRADITION OF TERRORIST SUSPECTS TO MILITARY TRIBUNALS WOULD ALSO POSE PROBLEMS FOR THE SPANISH JUDICIARY. IN PRACTICE, EXTRADITION TO THE US IS POSSIBLE ONCE SPANISH JUDICIAL CONCERNS REGARDING APPLICATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY ARE RESOLVED (SPAIN WOULD INSIST ON ADVANCE AGREEMENT THAT THE DEATH PENALTY NOT BE APPLIED TO PERSONS EXTRADITED TO THE U.S.) ¶E. OTHER HOST RESPONSES -------------- SPANISH GOVERNMENT PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON THE WAR ON TERRORISM HAVE BEEN VOCAL AND STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE, NOT ONLY IN THE WAKE OF 9-11 AND AFGHANISTAN, BUT DURING SUBSEQUENT TERRORIST ATTACKS (I.E. BALI, MOSCOW, KENYA). ¶F. MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN IN 2002 -------------- -------------- ON OCTOBER 25, THE GOS SENT TO PARLIAMENT FOR RATIFICATION THE DRAFT LAW OF THE EUROPEAN WARRANT OF ARREST (EURO- ORDER). SPAIN IS ONE OF SEVEN EU COUNTRIES TO HAVE MADE A COMMITMENT TO START APPLYING THE LAW ONE YEAR EARLY, DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2003, INSTEAD OF JANUARY 2004. IN MARCH, THE SPANISH COUNCIL OF MINISTERS APPROVED THE SIGNING OF THE "EUROJUST" AGREEMENT ON JUDICIAL COOPERATION AMONG EU COUNTRIES. IN JUNE, THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS APPOINTED THE TWO MEMBERS WHO WILL REPRESENT SPAIN IN EUROJUST. IN MAY, THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS APPROVED A DRAFT LAW THAT CALLED FOR CREATION OF JOINT INVESTIGATION TEAMS TO CARRY OUT CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS IN ANY OR ALL OF THE MEMBER STATES. THE DRAFT LAW WAS APPROVED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FRAMEWORK DECISION APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL OF EU JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS MINISTERS IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2001. ON OCTOBER 16, SPANISH MINISTER OF INTERIOR ANGEL ACEBES ANNOUNCED THAT SPAIN, ALONG WITH GREECE, ITALY AND THE UK, WOULD START A JOINT BORDER CONTROL AND SEAPORT CONTROL OPERATION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN TO FIGHT TERRORISM AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. THE FIRST OPERATION IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE BEFORE THE END OF 2002. WITH RESPECT TO THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN, FROM THE BEGINNING, SPAIN HAS PROVIDED LOGISTICAL SUPPORT TO THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION AUTHORIZING THE USE OF SPANISH MILITARY BASES AT ROTA AND MORON. WITHIN OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, SPAIN HAS PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL HUMANITARIAN TRANSPORT MISSIONS; IT CONTRIBUTED THREE C-130 HERCULES AND 70 SOLDIERS TO THE AIRBORNE DETACHMENT GEMINIS. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO SPAIN HAVING AUTHORIZED THE PARTICIPATION OF SIX HELICOPTERS AND ABOUT 150 SOLDIERS IN OPERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION. FROM JANUARY TO OCTOBER 2002, A SPANISH MEDICAL DETACHMENT WAS PRESENT IN THE BAGRAM AIR BASE (NEAR KABUL). SPAIN IS HEADING A NAVAL TASK FORCE IN THE HORN OF AFRICA TO DETECT AND DETER TERRORIST MOVEMENTS IN THAT AREA. SPAIN HAS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE ACTIVE ENDEAVOR AND COHERENT BEHAVIOR OPERATIONS, AND FOUR SPANISH MILITARY ARE IN THE U.S. AS PART OF THE NATO'S AWACS STAFF. SPAIN'S CURRENT CONTRIBUTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE (ISAF) IS ABOUT 300 SOLDIERS. ¶G. AND H. NONE ¶I. CHANGE IN ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORISM -------------- SPAIN HAS SUFFERED FROM ETA AND OTHER TERRORIST GROUPS FOR OVER 30 YEARS. SPAIN WELCOMES THE INCREASED INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN COMBATING TERRORISM THAT HAS EMERGED SINCE 9- ¶11. SPAIN BELIEVES THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM HAS TRANSLATED INTO INCREASED POLICE, JUDICIAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL PRESSURE ON ETA THAT IS TAKING A DEFINITE TOLL ON ETA'S OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS. ETA ATTACKS AND KILLINGS ARE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY THUS FAR IN 2002. ¶J. U.S. COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS WITH THE HOST GOVERNMENT -------------- -------------- ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHCROFT MET SEPTEMBER 14 WITH THE SPANISH INTERIOR AND JUSTICE MINISTERS IN COPENHAGEN. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL REITERATED THE U.S. COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT SPAIN IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST ETA TERRORISM. IN FEBRUARY, THE UNITED STATES BLOCKED THE ASSETS OF 21 PERSONS LINKED TO ETA. IN JUNE, THE U.S. BLOCKED THE ASSETS OF SEVEN MORE INDIVIDUALS WITH TIES TO ETA AND THE ETA- LINKED ORGANIZATION, ASKATASUNA. ANOTHER FOUR PERSONS LINKED TO ETA WERE INCLUDED ON THE U.S. TERRORIST LIST IN NOVEMBER. THE SPANISH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SECURITY MET IN FEBRUARY WITH SENIOR U.S. OFFICIALS. DURING THAT MEETING HE PUBLICLY RESTATED SPAIN'S INTENTION TO HELP THE U.S. IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST ISLAMIST EXTREMIST TERRORISM. DURING 2002, DOJ AND FBI EXPERTS WORKED WITH THE SPANISH NATIONAL COURT TO ASSIST IN THE ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTS UNCOVERED IN INVESTIGATIONS OF AL QAEDA SUSPECTS OPERATING IN SPAIN. ¶K. AND L. NO INFORMATION TO REPORT. ARGYROS