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PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMD #2058/01 3041807
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311807Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3734
INFO RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCNFB/FBI WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 3158

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 002058 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN: VERDICTS HANDED DOWN IN THE TRIAL OF THE 
MARCH 11, 2004, MADRID TRAIN BOMBINGS 
 
MADRID 00002058  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Spain's National Court on October 31 returned guilty 
verdicts on 21 of the 28 people accused of involvement in the 
March 11, 2004 train bombings in Madrid (known in Spain as 
11-M), which killed 191 and injured over 1,800.  An 
additional seven individuals were acquitted.  A 29th 
defendant had been acquitted earlier in the trial process. 
The sentences levied by Spanish Judge Javier Gomez-Bermudez 
ranged from three years to 42,924 years, but under Spanish 
law the maximum jail term an individual can serve for 
terrorist crimes is 40 years.  Only three individuals were 
actually charged with complicity in the 11-M attacks; the 
remaining individuals were convicted for belonging to a 
terrorist organization, cooperating with a terrorist 
organization, trafficking in explosives and/or document 
forgery.  One of the individuals acquitted today by Spain's 
anti-terrorist court was Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed, known as 
"Mohammed the Egyptian," who prosecutors had said was the 
brains behind the operation.  Osman is currently serving jail 
time in Italy on other terrorist charges.  A complete list of 
the convictions, sentences, and acquittals is below. 
 
¶2. (U) The near-simultaneous bombings on four packed commuter 
trains were the deadliest terror strikes on the West since 
the September 11th attacks against the U.S. and changed the 
course of Spain's general election.  Before the train 
bombings, the Partido Popular (PP) held a four-percentage 
point lead in the polls.  Just three days later, the 
frightened and angry Spanish electorate gave President 
Zapatero's Socialist party a four-percentage point victory. 
In many ways, the PP has yet to get over the sudden twist of 
fate and the entire 11-M investigation and trial have been 
rife with controversy and political tension.  There have been 
allegations of a police cover-up and involvement by the 
Spanish government, and a segment of the Spanish population 
clings to various conspiracy theories.  Some sectors of the 
PP and select Spanish media outlets maintained that the 
Basque terrorist group ETA was somehow involved in the 
attacks, but Judge Gomez-Bermudez said definitively today 
that there was no/no evidence of ETA involvement.  Many in 
the Socialist party have said that Spain was attacked because 
of its participation in the Iraq war under former President 
Aznar, but Judge Gomez-Bermudez made no mention of Iraq in 
his verdict. 
 
//COMMENT// 
 
¶3. (SBU)  The Spanish government, including its law 
enforcement and intelligence services, government ministries, 
and national prosecutors and judges, came together to carry 
out an in-depth and comprehensive investigation, prosecution 
and trial on an issue of supreme national security and 
political importance.  Indeed, Spain has been fairly 
criticized for not ably managing inter-agency cooperation on 
counterterrorism and law enforcement matters.  In this 
instance, however, the Spanish government was able to 
energize and bring together its inter-agency community in a 
focused and highly-effective manner.  This process was 
carried out in an open, transparent, and public way, despite 
the emotional circumstances of the attacks and the heightened 
political tensions and controversies surrounding its 
aftermath.  Some alleged terrorists were acquitted today, and 
there will always be criticisms from various sectors about 
what could have been done better, but on the whole, this is a 
good day for Spain.  This is also a good day for the United 
States and our allies who are committed to the fight against 
international terrorism.  The trial and its aftermath are 
sure to remain a political issue in advance of national 
elections, but terrorism receives no quarter from the Spanish 
public or any of the serious political parties.  The entire 
11-M process, from initial investigations to the final 
verdicts, once again demonstrates that Spain remains a 
serious and reliable partner in the fight against terror. 
END COMMENT 
 
¶4. (U)  The following is a list of today's convictions, 
sentences, and acquittals: 
 
-- Jamal Zougam, a Moroccan national, was found guilty of 191 
counts of murder, and sentenced to 30 years for each one.  He 
was also sentenced to 20 years each for 1,856 counts of 
attempted murder.  He was also sentenced to 12 years in 
 
MADRID 00002058  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
prison for belonging to a terrorist organization. 
 
-- Otman El Ghanoui, born in Morocco, was found guilty of 191 
murders and 1,856 attempted murders, for which he was 
sentenced to 30 years each and 20 years each respectively. 
He was also sentenced to 15 years each on four counts of 
"terrorist carnage," and 12 years for belonging to a 
terrorist group. 
 
-- Jose Emilio Suarez Trashorras, a former Spanish miner, was 
found guilty of supplying some of the explosives that were 
used in the attacks.  He was sentenced to 25 years each for 
192 deaths - the 191 who died in the bombings, plus policeman 
Francisco Javier Torronteras, who died when the seven key 
suspects blew themselves up during a police raid. 
 
-- Abdelmajid Bouchar, Moroccan, was sentenced to 18 years in 
prison for membership in a terrorist organization. 
 
-- Basel Ghalyoun, a Syrian national, was sentenced to 12 
years in prison as an accomplice to a terrorist group. 
 
-- Youssef Belhadj, Morocco, was found guilty of belonging to 
a terrorist group and sentenced to 12 years in prison. 
 
-- Hasan El Haski, a suspected leading member of the Moroccan 
Islamic Combat Group, was sentenced to 15 years for belonging 
to a terrorist group. 
 
-- Hamid Ahmidan, Morocco, sentenced to 23 years. 
 
-- Rachid Aglif, Morocco, sentenced to 18 years. 
 
-- Saed el Harrak, Morocco, sentenced to 12 years. 
 
-- Fouad El Morabit Amghar, Morocco, sentenced to 12 years. 
 
-- Mouhannad Almallah "Dabas," Syria, sentenced to 12 years. 
 
-- Mohamed Larbi Ben Sellam, Morocco, sentenced to 12 years. 
 
-- Mohamed Bouharrat, Morocco, sentenced to 12 years. 
 
-- Rafa Zouhier, Morocco, sentenced to 10 years. 
 
-- Abdelilah el Fadoual el Akil, Morocco, sentenced to 9 
years. 
 
-- Raul Gonzalez Pelaez, Spain, sentenced to 5 years for 
supplying explosives 
 
-- Sergio Alvarez Sanchez, Spain, sentenced to 3 years. 
 
-- Antonio Ivan Reis, Spain, sentenced to 3 years. 
 
-- Mahmoud Slimane Aoun, Lebanon, sentenced to 3 years. 
 
-- Nasreddine Bousbaa, Algeria, sentenced to 3 years. 
 
The Acquitted: 
 
-- Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed, Egypt 
 
-- Antonio Toro, Spain 
 
-- Carmen Toro, Spain 
 
-- Javier Gonzalez Diaz, Spain 
 
-- Emiliano Llano Alvarez, Spain 
 
-- Ivan Granados, Spain 
 
-- Mohamed Moussaten, Morocco 
AGUIRRE