US embassy cable - 04MADRID893

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000893 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2014 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, SP, Counterterrorism, Spanish Election March 2004 
SUBJECT: MADRID MARCH 11 BOMB ATTACKS: STATUS OF 
INVESTIGATION 
 
Classified By: Carol Urban, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, for Reasons 
 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) The investigation into who perpetrated the March 11 
attacks in Madrid continues, with an Al Qaeda link looking 
increasingly likely.  While authorities cannot completely 
rule out responsibility by the terrorist group ETA, or a 
possible ETA role in coordination with an Islamic terrorist 
group, the current major line of investigation is Al Qaeda. 
 
2. (C) Spanish authorities have detained five suspects, three 
Moroccan and two Indian citizens.  All three Moroccans are 
said to have links to Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, who was 
indicted for his role as an alleged ringleader in Al Qaeda's 
organization in Spain.   Authorities have reportedly linked 
the three to the attacks as a result of tracing the cell 
phone (the method used for detonation in the attacks) from 
one of the sportsbag bombs that did not detonate.  The three 
Moroccans are Kamal ZOUGAM (other reported spelling: Kamal 
ZOUGAN)(DPOB: 05-OCT-1973, Tangiers, Morocco); Mohamed EL 
BEKKALI BOUTALIHA (DPOB: 05-JUN-1969, Achouta, Morocco); and 
Mohamed CHAQUI (other reported spelling: Mohamed 
CHAOUI)(DPOB: 26-JUN-1969, Tangiers, Morocco).  All 
reportedly have police records and Zougam was named in 
Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon's September 2003 indictment of 
Barakat Yarkas, though not indicted himself.  Zougam 
reportedly ran an internet cafe with Chaqui, his half-brother. 
 
3. (C) The two Indians arrested are Vinay KHOLY (other 
reported spelling: Vinay KOHLY)(DPOB: 11-JUN-1976, Jalandhar, 
India) and Suresh KAMAR (DPOB: 27-JAN-1972, Hoshiarpur, 
India).  Press sources say they sold the telephones to the 
detained Moroccans. 
 
4. (C) On March 13, Spanish authorities were advised of a 
videotape placed in a trash container near a prominent 
mosque, located near the major M-30 roadway in Madrid.  The 
tape purportedly shows a masked spokesman, going by the name 
of Abu Dujan AL AFGANI, who claims responsibility for the 
attacks on behalf of Al Qaeda's military group in Europe. 
The man reportedly speaks Arabic with a Moroccan accent. 
Newspaper accounts state that high-level Moroccan security 
officials will travel to Spain to aid in the investigation. 
 
5. (C) The Madrid Community Government reports that as of 
today, the death toll from the attacks stands at 200.  They 
also list a total of 1,647 people treated for injuries, with 
243 victims still hospitalized. 
ARGYROS