September 18, 2003	Thursday	Rajab 20, 1424

MADRID, Sept 17: Spain’s top anti-terrorist judge on Wednesday indicted 35 people, including Osama bin Laden and a journalist for the Al Jazeera television network on terrorism charges.

In a 700-page indictment released here, Baltasar Garzon issued an international arrest warrant for Osama over the Sept 11 attacks and set a date of Sept 24 for the defendants arrested in Spain to appear before him.

The journalist charged was Tayssir Alluni, 56, arrested in the southern Spanish city of Granada on Sept 5.

He was held in Madrid for questioning by Mr Garzon for six days until last Thursday, when the judge ruled the journalist should answer allegations of being a member of Al Qaeda.

Spanish police suspect Mr Alluni of having links to members of the Al Qaeda network, including Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, alias Abu Dahdah, who was arrested on suspicion of being the ringleader of a militant cell that Spanish authorities dismantled in Nov 2001.

Insisting that Mr Alluni is innocent, the Al Jazeera on Friday accused the United States and Israel of inciting Spain to incriminate him.

Included on Mr Garzon’s hit list are 18 Spanish-based suspected Muslim militants, 11 of whom are currently in Spanish detention, who must now appear before Mr Garzon on Sept 24.

Of the 35 accused ten are charged specifically with involvement in the Sept 11 attacks, including Osama bin Laden himself, four men already in Spanish custody: Imad Edin Barakat Yarkas, Ghasub al Abrash Ghalyun, Driss Chebli and Abu Abdulrahman.

Tayssir Alluni, of Syrian origin but holder of a Spanish passport, is charged with “integration of the terrorist group Al Qaeda”, which he denies.

Regarding Mr Alluni, who found fame for interviewing Osama shortly after the Sept 11 attacks, Mr Garzon said “he is charged on the basis of facts which have nothing to do with his current occupation of journalist”. —AFP