Huge terror bomb trial starts in Spain

Thirty people went on trial today accused of plotting to blow up a Spain’s main anti-terror court with a bomb that could have killed 1,000 people.

The men, mostly Algerians, have been charged with membership of a terrorist organisation, conspiracy to commit a terrorist attack and forgery.

Mastermind Abderrahmane Tahiri planned to ram a truck loaded with half a tonne of explosives into the National Court in central Madrid.

“This was an organised and structured terrorist group, uncovered in November 2003 which defended the jihad (holy war) and intended carrying it out in Spain through violent actions such as that planned against the National Court and the persons within,” the charges say.

“With that explosion, they hoped to kill the persons within (judges, clerks and public in general) and destroy the files held against the ’mujahedeen brotherhood’ inside.”

Investigating magistrate Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the attack could have killed up to 1,000 people.

The prosecution is demanding sentences of between two and 46 years. The trial is expected to last several months.

Police uncovered the plot with the help of an informant who had lived with some of the accused.

In an initial investigation, Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon claimed Tahiri set up a cell known as the “Martyrs for Morocco” while he served time in a Spanish prison for credit card fraud between 1999 and 2002.

Garzon said the cell had links with other Islamic terrorists, including the group believed to be behind the March 11 train bombings in Madrid that killed 191 people.