Accused al Qaeda leader denies connection to hijackers News
Accused al Qaeda leader denies connection to hijackers

[JURIST] Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, the suspected leader of al Qaeda in Spain, has denied any connection to Sept. 11 hijacker Mohammed Atta [Wikipedia profile], as well as accusations that he helped arrange a planning meeting between Atta and another suspected Sept. 11 hijacker. Barakat Yarkas, also known as Abu Dahdah, is the prime suspect in the Madrid trial [JURIST report] of 24 men accused of belonging to the terrorist group, and is one of three men charged with mass murder in connection with the Sept. 11 attacks. BBC News has background on the suspected connection between the alleged members of al Qaeda in Spain and the Sept. 11 attacks. Reuters has more.