Madrid bomb suspect to be sent to Spain

31 March 2005

BRUSSELS – A man believed to be involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bomb attack is to be extradited to Spain either on Thursday or Friday.

A Belgian court rejected an appeal from Moroccan-born Youssef Belhadj earlier this month.

Federal magistrate Eric Vander Sijp has now indicated his extradition is imminent.

Belhadj, 28, is suspected by the Madrid authorities of being the Al Qaeda spokesman who claimed responsibility for the atrocity in a videotape message.

The bomb attacks, at the height of the city’s morning rush hour last March, killed 191 people.

Belhadj was first arrested in March 2004 because he was believed to be a member of the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, but he was released due to a lack of evidence.

Subject: Belgian news