Another Al Qaeda terrorist, training terrorists for Chechnya, arrested in Spain

One more man suspected of having to do with the Al Qaeda terrorist organisation and training terrorists for Chechnya has been arrested in Madrid. It is the fourth over the last two days arrest of a Spanish national of Syrian descent. The arrested, Kamal Khadid Chaar, is believed to be a member of the Islamic extremist organisation Muslim Brothers and, the Spanish police say, is involved in financing terrorists of Osama bin Laden.

Two days ago the Spanish police arrested three Islamic activists in Madrid and Castellone. One of them is Kamal Khadid's associate. Searches in their apartments revealed many documents and video films of best known buildings and bridges in the United States, which have become its national symbols.

The police believe that the video films, shot by one of the arrested during his ostensibly "tourist" trips to the United States in 1997, were used in the preparation of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Among the video films is a footage "full of extreme violence" shot by one of the arrested men during combat training of Islamic militants before they were sent to Chechnya, new Spanish Interior Minister Angel Acebes told a press conference. These militants' participation in terrorist operations in Chechnya is also filmed.

The Spanish police has numerous evidence corroborating contacts between the arrested and Al Qaeda figures, said the minister.

These arrests of Islamic extremists in Spain have been made in course of the Date operation, which was began last September by well-known Madrid investigating judge Baltazar Garzon.

About 20 men have been arrested during this operation. They are charged with training militants in camps in Afghanistan for use in other countries. One of these countries is Russia, where those militants were members of illegal armed formations.