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Suspected terrorists in Spanish court

By CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman

MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A top judge is considering the cases of 11 suspected Islamic terrorists who police said are members of a terrorist cell linked to Osama bin Laden.

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The suspects were arrested Tuesday in Madrid and Granada. They were taken to Madrid's national court on Saturday and were taken one by one before Spain's best known judge, Baltasar Garzon, who will determine the formal charges against them.

Most of the men were former Islamic combatants in Afghanistan or Bosnia or had received training in terrorist camps in Afghanistan or elsewhere, the Spanish government said.

A majority of the group now have Spanish nationality, but they were born in predominantly Muslim countries, mainly Syria, police said.

No evidence has been disclosed linking the suspects to the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. But police said they played an important supporting role in bin Laden's local network.

A decision from the judge is expected later in the day on how many will be sent to jail and on what charges.

The alleged leader of the 11 was identified as Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, considered to be bin Laden's "representative" in Spain, the government said.

Barakat Yarkas earlier had contact, police said, with the leader of six Algerians arrested on September 26 in Spain, who formed a cell of militant Islamic Salafist Call and Combat Group.

To date, nearly 20 Islamic terrorism suspects -- including the 11 -- have been arrested in Spain.

Spanish authorities have told CNN that they are searching for evidence to link the so-called "sleeper cells" of Islamic terrorists in Spain to other terrorists who would actually commit attacks elsewhere in Europe. The sleeper cells are thought to have quietly provided logistical and financial support for these efforts.

Officials are also investigating links between the Spanish-based cells and Mohamed Atta, an Egyptian who is thought to have piloted the first plane to strike the World Trade Center towers on September 11.

Atta visited Spain twice this year, in January and July, and authorities suspect the reason was to meet other terrorists here.