US embassy cable - 04MADRID3210

UNCLAS MADRID 003210 
 
SIPDIS 
 
VISAS VIPER 
 
DEPT FOR CA/VO/L/C AND INR/IC/TIPOFF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS, KVPR, PTER, ASEC, CMGT, PINR, PREL, 
(BEGHADALI, ABDELKRIM ET AL) 
SUBJECT:  VISAS VIPER SUBMISSION 
 
1.   POST WISHES TO SUBMIT AND/OR UPDATE THE FOLLOWING 
  NAMES AND INFORMATION TO CLASS IN ACCORDANCE WITH VIPER 
  PROCEDURES: 
 
2.   DAILY SPANISH PRESS OF AUG. 21 AND SUBSEQUENT DAYS 
  REPORTED THAT BASED ON THE INVESTIGATION BEING 
  CONDUCTED BY THE SPANISH SCIENTIFIC POLICE, THE SPANISH 
  NATIONAL COURT JUDGE IN CHARGE OF THE INVESTIGATION ON 
  THE MARCH 11TH TERRORIST ATTACKS, ORDERED THE ARREST OF 
  ABDELKRIM BEGHADALI AND SAFWAN SABAGH. THEY ARE ACCUSED 
  OF COLLABORATION WITH A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.  THEIR 
  FINGERPRINTS WERE FOUND IN SEVERAL BOOKS AND OTHER 
  DOCUMENTS RECOVERED BY POLICE AMONG THE DEBRIS OF THE 
  APARTMENT, IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF MADRID, WHERE 7 
  SUSPECTED TERRORISTS DETONATED THEMSELVES ON APRIL 3, 
  2004 DURING A POLICE RAID.  IN ADDITION, SABAGH'S TWO 
  TELEPHONE NUMBERS WERE HANDWRITTEN ON A PIECE OF PAPER 
  WITH ANNOTATIONS, FOUND IN A STOLEN VEHICLE USED BY THE 
  TERRORISTS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE EXPLOSIVES AND 
  RECOVERED BY POLICE ON JUNE 13, 2004. 
 
3.   THE SPANISH POLICE PREVIOUSLY INVESTIGATED 
  BEGHADALI AND SABAGH IN 1997 AND 1998 PER THEIR ALLEGED 
  ASSOCIATION WITH THE ALGERIAN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION 
  "GIA".  THEY WERE ALSO ARRESTED ON MARCH 23, 2004, AS A 
  RESULT OF A SPANISH POLICE INVESTIGATION ON ISLAMIST 
  TERRORIST CELLS.  HOWEVER, THEY WERE RELEASED TWO DAYS 
  LATER FOR LACK OF INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE. 
 
4.   NAME: BEGHADALI, ABDELKRIM 
 
  -    GENDER: MALE 
-    DPOB: 41 YEARS OLD, ALGERIA 
-    CLASS: NEGATIVE 
-    RESIDENT IN THE AREA OF VALENCIA, SPAIN SINCE 
1988.  HE RUNS A SMALL CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS AND 
PRACTICES AS THE IMAM IN THE LOCAL MOSQUE OF TORRENT, A 
LOCATION WITH A SMALL IMMIGRANT MUSLIM POPULATION. 
-    DURING THE FIRST COURT PROCEEDINGS BEGHADALI 
ADMITTED TO THE EXAMINING JUDGE HAVING SENT IN 1998 A 
MUSLIM RELIGIOUS BOOK WITH KORANIC VERSES TO ALLEKEMA 
LAMARI, WHO WAS IN PRISON SERVING A PROVISIONAL 
SENTENCE FOR HIS MEMBERSHIP IN THE ALGERIAN TERRORIST 
ORGANIZATION "GIA".  LAMARI IS AN ALGERIAN 
FUNDAMENTALIST, WHOM SPANISH POLICE BELIEVE TO BE THE 
NON-IDENTIFIED 7TH TERRORIST WHO DIED IN THE MADRID 
APARTMENT BLAST. THE EXAMINING JUDGE ORDERED HIS 
PROVISIONAL RELEASE WITHOUT CHARGES. 
 
5.   NAME:  SABAGH, SAFWAN 
 
  -    ALIAS: "ABU ABAIDA" 
-    GENDER: MALE 
-    DPOB: 41 YEARS OLD, SYRIA 
-    CLASS: NEGATIVE 
-    THE EXAMINING JUDGE ORDERED AN EXTENSION OF HIS 
PROVISIONAL IMPRISONMENT PENDING ADDITIONAL 
PROCEEDINGS.  HE STATED HE GAVE ALGERIAN TERRORIST 
ALLEKEMA LAMARI HIS PERSONAL AND BUSINESS TELEPHONE 
NUMBERS. 
 
MANZANARES