The Bush administration's so-called war on terrorism suffered yet another credibility attack when Spain released their frusrations about having to deal with a recalcitrant U.S. during a trial against figures in one of the biggest terrorist attacks in Europe post 911.
"The al-Qaeda leader who created, trained and directed the terrorist cell that carried out the Madrid train bombings has been held in a CIA "ghost prison" for more than a year.
Spanish officials told The Times last night that they are furious to have been denied access to Mustafa Setmarian Nasar, a Syrian-born terrorist who has been part of the al-Qaeda leadership since the late 1980s.
"This is Spain's most wanted man in the terrorist world - it is galling to know that he is in the hands of an ally and they will not help us," a Spanish official said."
I think the petty political concerns of the current administration have hijacked legitimate security concerns that we all have and that we must stand up and speak out before it is too late.
If we don't allow our friends to help our enemies only benefit.
"Spanish intelligence agents were said to have been allowed to question inmates of Guantanamo Bay about Setmarian in 2002. But access to suspects in US custody was blocked after Spain withdrew its troops from Iraq following the Madrid bomb."
