Article

2005-05-10 Europe

Testimony continues in Spain terror trial

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Posted by seafarious 2005-05-10 00:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Ousama Darra admitted he received faxes from people asking him for help for Islamic Groups but affirmed he didn't read them and didn't give them much importance/thought.

"The moment for the fight against the Jews have arrived. The young men are prepared" Ousama Darra aka Abu Thabet admitted he received faxes with this or other similar contents, but didn't pay attention to them. When answering his lawyer's questions, he said he "didn't read them and didn't utilize them". The public prosecutor has asked 12 years in jail for him.

Public Prosecutor Pedro Rubira read excerpts from some of these faxes which the accused received at the store he managed together with Mohamed Needl Acaid, "Decomisos Mardini".

Although when the prosecutor was reading the excerpts he kept repeating "yes, yes", when his lawyer asked him specific questions he said he remembered he received this kind of faxes but didn't read or act on them.
"Many of them were not even for me, they were for some of the clients"

One of the faxes stated: "I have all kinds of weapons, but there aren't enough Palestinian youngsters to sacrifice for us". "I beg you to inform all the brothers that are interested in this subject to let them know we've formed a group with the best young Palestinians from Lebanon, and, as any other group, it needs support"

Syrian Osama Darra is, according to accusation, a former mujahideen who was a member of an Al Qaeda cell and, more specifically, was part of a second cell - formed by Abdullah Khayata Kattan - together with Jasem Mahboule and Mohamed Needl Acaid. This cell supported mujahideens who had been fighting in Bosnia or Afghanistan.

Darra admitted he traveled to Bosnia and to Yemen (when according to Pedro Rubira he coincided with Abu Dahdah) - he justified the first trip for humanitarian reasons and the second one for business reasons.

"At that time everybody was talking about Bosnia and I wanted to help." However, he said, he had been there for a few days only because it was very difficult to enter that country, he had problems with an expired visa and he could only be there long enough to distribute a few clothing items.

The police suspects that "Decomisos Mardini" and also the also shop he had together with Mohamed Needl Acaid were just "covers".

Back in Spain, in 1996, Darra and Acaid made several money transfers to mujahideens.

According to document written by the Prosecutor, on May 10th 1996 he transferred 3,200 dollars for Moummar Abdullah Awani [Abdullah al Alwami aka Ibn Al Shahid] which was cashed in Sanaa, Yemen; and another for 1,046 dollars for "Kamal Hadid" (identity used at the time by Sheikh Salah, the founder of the Spanish cell which would be led by Abu Dahdah).

They also transferred money through Arab Bank for 2,000 and 500 dollars, both cashed in Lebanon, these transfers, according to Rubira, were to finance the activities of Ibn Al Chahid [Shahid] who, together with another mujahideen, had traveled from that country to Yemen, staying at the Palestinian camp Ain el Hekwaeh [Ein el Helweh].
During his cross-examination, Darra admitted such operations. He said he didn't remember the exact days and amounts but said he had businesses with Abdullah Awani's brother and made payments for clothes and tapes they sent him.

Darra said the communique from the Islamic Combat Group GIA that was found during the searches in his house belonged to his deceased brother, as well as many paramilitay training books also found there - he affirmed he doesn't know their content.

Posted by jurisesq 2005-05-10 12:00|| 2005-05-10 12:00|| Front Page Top

#2 The gentleman in question is wonderfully obliging to near-strangers and has an amazingly fallible memory for a member of the petit bourgousie. Thanks for the info, jurisesq.

Posted by trailing wife 2005-05-10 21:08|| 2005-05-10 21:08|| Front Page Top

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