Alleged al-Qaida financier denies helping fund holy war
A Syrian-born Spaniard alleged to be the financial mastermind of an al-Qaida cell that helped plot the September 11 attacks in the US in 2001 said today he had never given “a single peseta” toward a jihad, or holy war.
Continuing his testimony at the trial in Madrid of 24 terror suspects - Europe’s biggest court case against radical groups with alleged ties to Osama bin Laden’s terror network – Mohamed Ghaleb Kalaje Zouaydi also denied he was ever a member of any Islamic group or engaged in recruiting young people to send as fighters to countries like Afghanistan.
“I am not and have never been a member of a group of any ideology or political nature, not even a sports group,” said Zouaydi. “I chose Islam as a way to adore God, nothing else,” he said.
During the trial, Zouaydi has admitted that he donated large sums of money to Muslims but always out of charity.
Responding to a question from his lawyer as to whether he had ever sent money as part of a holy war, he replied: ”Never, not even a peseta,” he said referring to Spain’s former currency.
Zouaydi, who ran real estate and construction firms, is accused of using his business dealings as a front for financing a Spanish al Qaida cell and funnelling money to Muslim extremists in other countries, including Germany, another alleged staging ground for the suicide aeroplane attacks of 2001 in the US.
Zouaydi also told the Madrid court that he knew the alleged leader of the Spanish al-Qaida cell, Imad Yarkas, from daily contact and from a business deal involving €46,800 for the purchase of an attic in Madrid, but he didn’t agree with some of his radical point of views.
“Imad is a polite person, a friend of his friends and a good person,” Zouaydi said.
Three of the 24 suspects, including Yarkas, are accused specifically of using Spain as a staging ground to help plan the September 11 attacks. Zouaydi is among the other 21 who face charges of terrorism, weapons possession or other offences, but not September 11 planning.
The trial, which began April 22, was to resume later today with testimony from Syrian Bassam Dalati who was an associate of Zouaydi. It then adjourns until Monday when the court will hear from Al-Jazeera journalist Tayssir Alouny, the only defendant currently out on bail.
