Posted on 05/21/2004 3:27:08 AM PDT by oceanperch
Prints on Madrid bombing material not those of Portland man 05:02 PM PDT on Thursday, May 20, 2004 From NWCN.com Staff and Wire reports
MADRID, Spain -- Fingerprints found on a plastic bag containing detonators of the kind used in the March 11 Madrid train bombings were identified as belonging to an Algerian national, police said Thursday evening.
Police made no reference to the claim earlier this month by the FBI that a fingerprint from the bag belonged to
Portland-area lawyer Brandon Mayfield. He was arrested on May 6 as a material witness in the bombings that killed 191 people and wounded more than 2,000.
Asked by The Associated Press whether the fingerprints now traced to the Algerian would exonerate Mayfield, a police spokeswoman declined to comment, but Mayfield was released Thursday afternoon. ?
I want to thank my family and friends who were supporting me through this, what I?ll call a harrowing ordeal,? Mayfield said outside the federal building in downtown Portland. NWCN
Mayfield's fingerprint did not fully match those on the bag carrying the explosives. Click this link to view a larger version of the fingerprint.
Mayfield said he could not comment further until a judge lifts a gag order in the case.
Mayfield's family had insisted he was innocent.
?I think there is going to be a major review about why they detained him," said Kent Mayfield, Brandon Mayfield's brother.
"This obviously proves that this is a complete witch hunt, and we are going to follow up as we can.?
Police declined to say whether other prints may be on the bag.
Earlier, Spanish police said only eight points of coincidence linked the print to Mayfield, but the FBI said they had 15 matching points.
From Washington, the FBI also declined to comment.
"Because of the nature of this case, we can't comment on this," spokesman Bill Carter said in a short telephone interview. Mayfield's family in Oregon insists he is innocent.
The bag was found in a van hours after the blasts in or near downtown Madrid during the morning rush hour when trains were crowded with passengers. The van had been left near the train station of Alcala de Henares from which three of the four bombed trains had departed.
Spanish police previously had expressed doubt that an unidentified fingerprint definitely belonged to Mayfield and finally traced at least two fingerprints to Ouhnane Daoud of Algeria, but gave no further details.
"The fingerprints found in a plastic bag with seven detonators that the police found inside a van Renault Kangoo, stolen by the terrorists of March 11, belong to Algerian Ouhnane Daoud," according to the police statement.
"The extensive and meticulous work of the Spanish scientific police has determined completely that the fingerprint identifications are of the medium and thumb fingers of the Algerian's right hand," the statement added.
The Europa Press news agency reported Daoud had a residency permit to live in Spain and had a police record.
Telecinco TV station reported Thursday night that identification of the Algerian probably ruled out Mayfield as a suspect.
I will be very interested in hearing the story after the gag order is lifted.
I am sure you have already heard this news. Pinging you just in case.
NWCN States that he Mayfield is still facing a Grand Jury and is under watch by authorities untill after the Grand Jury hearings.
Mayfield is still considered a material witness.
The visit of those Moroccans (the - er, "trade delegation") to Portland shortly before the bombing was just too coincidental for my tastes. If he's still considered a material witness, there must be something other than the fingerprint. In fact, his other involvement may be one of the reasons they thought about him for the fingerprint.
I sure wonder what connection they are speculating he could have had. He wasn't in Spain, so they must think that someone else was in Portland before they went to Madrid.
Even if this guy is 100% innocent, that's still a fascinating turn of events.
Isn't Daoud the same name as one of the Iraqi Most Wanted?? OR is Daoud like Smith??
Thanks for this reply and the ping above.
"NWCN States that he Mayfield is still facing a Grand Jury and is under watch by authorities until after the Grand Jury hearings."
"Mayfield is still considered a material witness."
Thanks duplicates happen when you have the day timers vs. the all nighters.
I think you hit it. I keep thinking that it's the "bag" that they were able to trace back.
Hang 'em High!
I have had only one ear on the news lately. Babysitting, ya' know...;o)
I appreciate the extra info, op. I had not heard that.
"How many times did we hear that the Portland 7 weren't guilty and Hawash was innocent before they confessed or were found guilty?"
Right up until that time, Gramps.
Mayfield's demeanor on release did not seem to me to be of a happy innocent person being freed. He looked a little aprehensive. Perhaps he is innocent but found out he was a little too close to those who are guilty and realizes he is in deep doo doo either way.
That's what I love about the man he has the PNW covered.
Always.
Thanks GrampaDave and God Bless U 2 dixiechick2000.
We ventured off of our rural coast home and had to do stuff in Corvallis today.
Burka heaven. I kid you not. No Parkas and tight fists though LOL per FBI.
His statement on NWCN was he needed to "chill out" after the two week needling and Grand Jury is still not convened.
As Ole Drudge would write;
Developing............
"We ventured off of our rural coast home and had to do stuff in Corvallis today. Burka heaven. I kid you not. No Parkas and tight fists though LOL per FBI"
On one of our trips from Portland to the Coast we took the Corvallis route to Newport. It was a warm day, and we saw about as many Burkas as one might see in the middle east. They were walking on the pathway west of town. This was about 7 years ago.
A conservative couple, we know, retired from our area and decided to move to Oregon. I tried to warn them about Ashland, Corvallis and Eugene as being liberal infested areas. The guy is a typical Marine/LEO type. He listens but doesn't really.
They went up to Ashland and were out after one night. They had planned to spend 2-3 days looking homes and part time jobs. Then, they went to Corvallis. They left with hours. They had planned to spend a day or two there. They ended up in Eugene for the night and were out of there by noon.
They ended up building a home east of Medford and seem to be happy.
They stopped by for a visit last fall. I asked him what was wrong with Ashland, Corvallis and Eugene? He said my warnings about liberals in those pus pockets were understated. Then, the hostile Arab population in Corvallis was mind blowing to him. He served at one of our embassies in the Middle East during his 20 with the Corp.
There has been a hostile Arab population infecting the Newport area for over 10 years.
I haven't been to Corvallis in about 10 years. :)
Anyone watching this guy yacking on cnn how he's like a Jew in WW2 Germany?
And how evil everyone is for discriminating him over his mooselimb crap?
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