Independent, UK

London-based Muslim cleric named as a 'spiritual leader' of al-Qa'ida

War on Terrorism: Spanish investigation

By Ian Burrell, Home Affairs Correspondent

21 November 2001

A Muslim cleric living in London has been named by the Spanish authorities as a pivotal figure in the al-Qa'ida terror network in Europe.

Abu Qatada, 40, from Acton, is named in a judicial indictment as al-Qa'ida's "spiritual leader" in Europe and one of its key financiers.

Mr Qatada, a Palestinian with Jordanian nationality, is believed to have been placed at the top of an MI5 list of suspects facing internment under controversial new anti-terror laws debated in the Commons this week.

The Spanish investigation, which has led to 11 arrests in Madrid and Granada for involvement in the 11 September attacks, comes after a four-year surveillance operation of Islamic extremists by Spain and the US.

Judge Baltasar Garzon, gives the clearest indication yet of a British connection to the atrocities. He claims that Syrian-born Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, known as Abu Dahdah, was the leader of a Madrid-based al-Qa'ida cell "directly linked to the preparation and carrying out" of the US attacks.

According to the judge's sealed indictment, obtained by The Independent, Mr Yarkas – who has been kept under observation by the Spanish authorities since at least 1997 – visited Britain 20 times before his arrest last week. Judge Garzon says Mr Yarkas had four main contacts in Britain, the most important being Mr Qatada. Three other contacts of the Madrid al-Qa'ida cell are named as Abu Walid, Abu al-Hareth and Abu Bashir. Mr Walid is described in the indictment as "Qatada's second man" and is said to have moved from Britain to Afghanistan. Mr al-Hareth is described as the "Osama bin Laden unofficial representative in the UK".

The indictment claims Mr Yarkas, and a senior al-Qa'ida member, Anwar Adnan Mohamed Saleh, organised for funds to be sent across Europe to Mr Qatada in London. According to the judge, Mr Qatada then channelled the Madrid al-Qa'ida money to four other named terror suspects. One of his alleged contacts was Abu Khaled, named as "al-Qa'ida's courier between Afghanistan and Europe".

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001