On 15 July 2019, under the signature of Carlos Enrique Bayo, the Spanish republican daily
Público published the beginning of a four-part enquiry into the relations between the ring-leader of the 2017 attacks in Catalonia and the Spanish secret services [
1].
In Spain, espionage and counter-espionage are handled by a single institution, the CNI (Centro Nacional de Inteligencia - National Intelligence Centre). Although, administratively speaking, it is subordinate to the Ministry of Defence, its director enjoys the formal rank of Minister.
The documents published by
Público attest that, contrary to the official version, the Imam of Ripoll, the Moroccan Abdelbaki Es-Satty
- had been radicalised for a long time ;
- that he had been recruited as an informer by the Intelligence services ;
- that the Intelligence services had falsified his legal case files in order to avoid him being expelled after he was found guilty of drug-trafficking ;
- that a « dead letter box » had been prepared for him so that he could communicate with his handling officer ;
- and that the telephones of his accomplices were tapped.
Above all, they attest that :
- the CNI followed the terrorists step by step ;
- knew the locations of the targets for the attack ;
- and were continuing their surveillance at least four days before the crimes were committed.
Why did the CNI not prevent the attacks? Why did it hide what it knew? Why, in 2008 (that is to say before the recruitment of Abdelbaki Es-Satty as an informer), did it hide certain elements from the Guardia Civil in order to protect the enquiry into the Madrid attack of 11 March 2004 (known as « 11-M »)?
Comment: See also: