Free Republic

By John Crewdson, Tribune senior correspondent. Reporting and research assistance was provided by Drew Crosby in Madrid MADRID -- The most sweeping criminal indictment to arise thus far from the Sept. 11 attacks reflects a quiet but dramatic change in understanding by investigators here and across Europe of the terrorist organization known as Al Qaeda, and the international Islamic radical-terrorist network of which, they now agree, it is merely a part. As laid out in the indictment, the defendants' alleged activities--from arranging travel and providing introductions to procuring false documents and, especially, moving money--provide the first detailed look at one...

Originally posted Sept. 29, 2003; reposted June 18, 2004 Senior investigators and analysts in the U.S. government have concluded that Iraq acted as a state sponsor of terrorism against Americans and logistically supported the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States - confirming news reports that until now have emerged only in bits and pieces. A senior government official responsible for investigating terrorism tells Insight that while Saddam Hussein may not have had details of the Sept. 11 attacks in advance, he "gave assistance for whatever al-Qaeda came up with." That assistance, confirmed independently, came in a variety of...

Arab satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera denounced the sentencing of its correspondent in Spain on Monday to seven years in jail on terrorism charges. Tayseer Alouni, 50, was found guilty by Spain's High Court of collaborating with a terrorist group but acquitted of being a member of al Qaeda. He was among 18 people sentenced at the trial, the biggest of suspected Islamist militants in Europe. "This is a black day for the Spanish judiciary which has deviated from all the norms of international justice," Al Jazeera news editor Ahmed al-Sheikh told the station. "It is a verdict that is based...

Spanish prosecutors are seeking a total of 222,000 years in prison and nearly $1.17 billion in fines for three suspects accused of aiding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. The punishments are among a total of 230,000 years of prison terms sought for 24 suspects held in jail on charges of belonging to an al Qaeda unit in Spain, according to court documents filed Monday. The trial was due to start this month but has been delayed indefinitely because of a backlog of cases at the High Court. The prison terms correspond to all the charges, including...

Senior investigators and analysts in the U.S. government have concluded that Iraq acted as a state sponsor of terrorism against Americans and logistically supported the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States – confirming news reports that until now have emerged only in bits and pieces. A senior government official responsible for investigating terrorism tells Insight that while Saddam Hussein may not have had details of the Sept. 11 attacks in advance, he "gave assistance for whatever al-Qaida came up with." That assistance, confirmed independently, came in a variety of ways, including financial support spun out through a complex...

The Associated Press MADRID, Spain Sept. 18 — Police have arrested several suspects on orders of a Spanish judge who is investigating al-Qaida links, the government said Thursday, a day after he issued the first known indictment against Osama bin Laden in the Sept. 11 attacks. The Interior Ministry said the arrests were made in the southern region of Andalusia and elsewhere in Spain, but it gave no details. News agencies and the Web site of the El Pais newspaper said three men were detained and that they are linked to Tayssir Alouni, a journalist for the Arabic-language TV station...

DOHA, 6 September 2003 — Arabic television channel Al-Jazeera said yesterday that Spanish police had arrested one of its most renowned war correspondents on charges of belonging to Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network. Al-Jazeera said police detained Tayseer Alouni, who shot to fame in the Arab world covering the US-led war on Afghanistan and then the Iraq war, at his home in Granada in southern Spain.It said Alouni and his wife were Spanish citizens.Spanish police sources confirmed they had arrested Alouni.“Alouni has been arrested in Granada... in principle for connections with Islamic terrorist organizations,” one source told Reuters, but gave...

DOHA (Reuters) - Arabic television channel Al Jazeera said on Friday Spanish police had arrested one of its most renowned war correspondents on charges of belonging to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. Al Jazeera said police detained Tayseer Alouni, who shot to fame in the Arab world covering the U.S.-led war on Afghanistan and then the Iraq war, at his home in Granada in southern Spain. It said Alouni and his wife were Spanish citizens. Spanish police sources confirmed they had arrested Alouni. "Alouni had been arrested in Granada...in principle for connections with Islamic terrorist organizations," one source told...