Posted on 03/02/2005 7:02:15 AM PST by Alex Marko
MADRID (Reuters) - The Madrid train bombers had detailed plans of New York's Grand Central Station, indicating they also planned to attack there, a Spanish newspaper reported Wednesday.
Hand-made drawings and other "highly specialized technical information" about the station were found on a computer disk seized from the home of one of the suspects, El Mundo reported, citing sources close to the investigation.
The disk was confiscated within two weeks of the attacks on March 11, 2004, that killed 191 people in Madrid, but Spanish investigators did not warn the FBI and the CIA until December when the full scope of the technical information became clear, El Mundo said.
"Prosecutors at the High Court have informed the FBI and the CIA that the perpetrators of the March 11 attacks had in their possession plans to attack Grand Central Station in New York," it said.
No one was immediately available at the Interior Ministry to comment.
The disk was found in the home of a man arrested on suspicion of playing a role in the attacks that rocked Spain three days before a general election, El Mundo said.
The suspect, who El Mundo said had a relationship with other men formally accused in the probe, was released from jail but remains under suspicion. His brother is wanted in another investigation into a suspected al Qaeda cell in Spain, it said.
Ten bombs hidden in sports bags exploded on board four packed commuter trains last March 11 in an attack claimed by men saying they acted in the name of al Qaeda in Europe in response to Spain sending troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The same group is suspected of planting a bomb on a high-speed rail line south of Madrid a few days after the deadly attacks, and seven prime suspects later blew themselves up in a suburban Madrid apartment when surrounded by police.
Some 70 people have been arrested in the criminal investigation, about half of whom remain in jail or under court supervision.
one more 9/11 type attack in America and the Muslims might as well pack up and go back to whatever sandbox hellhole they originated from...
and W can bend over and kiss his "legacy" good byyyyyyyye
they've had 3 and half friggin' years to secure the borders and ports and deport allllll the illegals and they haven't done it!!!
When ya leave the doors open, you're just asking for trouble!
You have to realize the complexity of US law concerning suviellence within the US. The FBI/CIA/NSA cannot just eavesdrop on every US resident. Now the border situation, i agree, it needs to be dealt with.
That might seem like a reasonable assumption to make, but I have a hard time believing that the CIA had no knowlege of this information before they were officially told about it in December.
I must respectfully disagree. I don't know why they haven't, but they are perfectly capable of leaving sports bags full of explosives on trains.
Speaking about W's legacy. The Bush admin has accomplished more on Domesitic security than the 3 previous administrations combined.
When you hit your knees tonight you can thank God that there hasn't been another attack in America since 9/11...
With open borders and explosives, rockets, you name it being widely available...for the right price...just a matter of time...it was EIGHT years between the first WTC bombing and 9/11!
and if you think that the reason we haven't had another attack is because of "security", you've got another thought coming...why the security at the 7/11 is better than any railroad station in America!!!
Let's put it differently. FBI successes are silent. Failures are kaboom loud. Hopefully, there will not be any.
Grand Central?
Well, OK. As long as it's not Penn Station.
I agree that FBI successes are silent. There have probably been many.
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