Madrid: An al Qaeda suspect plotted to poison tourists' water supplies to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden, a Spanish judge said on Saturday as he remanded the man in custody.
Abdellatif Aoulad Chiba, a 36-year-old Moroccan, had gone so far as to obtain manuals on poisons, toxins and explosives on jihadist websites, the judge said.
Police swooped soon after the suspect appeared to be saying farewell to his wife.
Chiba's online comments on jihadist websites "expressed a clear desire to carry out an attack against 'infidels' by poisoning human water supplies", he said in a written ruling.
The online comments indicated that he wanted to strike "at
camp sites and tourist resorts", most likely in Spain, said
the judge of the National Court, Spain's highest authority for
hearing terrorist cases.
"The risk increased after he entered in contact with other
users of the forum who supplied him with manuals on how to
make and use poisons, toxins and explosives."
Police arrested Chiba on Wednesday in the southern town of
Linea de la Concepcion.
He was remanded in custody today on suspicion of
conspiracy to commit a terrorist killing and of being a member
of a terrorist organisation. Formal charges have not yet been
laid.
In one online post found by police he swore his allegiance
to al Qaeda's North African offshoot, al Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb.
The suspect had "expressed his intention to continue the
organisation's efforts to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden
and other key members of al Qaeda," the court said.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, August 21, 2011, 10:17