Five men arrested in connection with Madrid's suspected al-Qaeda bombings appeared in court yesterday as Spain hunts for links between the men and Islamic militants abroad.
Three Moroccans and two Indians faced a closed-door preliminary hearing at what the government says is a "decisive phase" in the inquiry into Western Europe's worst guerrilla attack, which killed 201 and injured more than 1,750 a week ago.
PHOTO: AP
The blasts helped provoke a major election upset, ushering in a Socialist leader who has vowed to stand by a pledge to pull Spain's troops from Iraq despite US calls to stay the course.
Incoming prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero branded a "fiasco" the occupation of Iraq which was backed by outgoing Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar despite huge public opposition.
His critics say Spain's withdrawal would hand victory to the attackers and a new letter signed by a group that has claimed responsibility for the bombs will give critics fresh ammunition.
"Praise be to God who gave us this victory in the conquest of Madrid ... where one of the pillars of the axis of Crusader evil was destroyed," said a statement signed by the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, which claims links to al-Qaeda.
The letter, sent to a pan-Arab newspaper on Wednesday, said the group was calling a Europe-wide truce until it knew Zapatero's intentions over Iraq, where a suspected al-Qaeda car bomb killed 27 people in Baghdad on Wednesday.
Zapatero, who opposed the conflict, was trailing in the polls before the Madrid blasts on four commuter trains, which Aznar instantly blamed on Basque separatists ETA.
Outrage over Aznar's handling of the attack and a revival of public opposition to the Iraq war swept Zapatero to power. He takes office next month.
Spain is still reeling from the blasts and emotions ran high yesterday as commuters make the same early train journeys that were hit exactly one week ago and a tribute is held for victims at Madrid's busy Atocha station.
Police are hunting some 20 Moroccans, who may also be linked to last May's Casablanca attack in which 45 people died.
The five arrested suspects -- including a Moroccan named as Jamal Zougam -- are expected to return to jail after their court appearance yesterday. An Algerian man picked up in the northern Basque city of San Sebastian is also being held.
Britain's Metropolitan Police and intelligence agencies are probing possible links between the suspects and extremist Islamists living in London, El Mundo newspaper said yesterday, citing police sources.
The Metropolitan Police had no comment.
Separately, Imad Eddim Barakat Yarkas, also known as Abu Dahdah -- described as al-Qaeda's leader in Spain and charged with a role in the September 11 U.S. attacks -- was due to appear in a different court yesterday, El Pais reported.
The newspaper, quoting state agency EFE, said Dahdah had condemned the Madrid attacks in a letter to EFE on Monday.
Along with the rest of Europe, Spain has stepped up security at airports and at strategic installations in the face of what the Aznar's government called "an ongoing terrorist threat."
Zougam, who has a criminal record, ran a store that sold mobile phones in Madrid's multi-racial Lavapies district. Police believe mobile phones were used to detonate the bombs.
The official death toll remains 201 but a forensic scientist told El Mundo that figure was questionable. She said the number of people reported missing exceeded the number of dead as many bodies had been blown to pieces.
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