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CNN Live Today

Madrid Police Arrest al Qaeda Suspects

Aired April 24, 2002 - 11:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Other news to date, police in Madrid are holding two suspected al Qaeda money men today.

Want to go to the Pentagon to learn more about these men and what officials hope to learn from them, and we go to our Barbara Starr.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well Spanish police say they have now arrested a second member of the al Qaeda terrorist network operating in Spain, and they say this man may have links to the September 11 attacks. The suspect is Galeb Kalaje Zouaydi. Spanish police -- you see him here being arrested -- say he is suspected of moving large sums of money to radical Islamic groups around the world, operating as one of the financiers for the al Qaeda.

And this is the second arrest in Spain in recent days of a suspected al Qaeda-related terrorist. Some 20 people have been taken into custody in Spain since September 11. This is only the latest in a series of recent developments. German police have arrested 11 suspects in a suspected terrorist cell there that they say may also be linked to Osama bin Laden.

All of this is part of the continuing effort on the part of the international coalition to crack down on al Qaeda cells around the world. And, of course, it follows the recent bomb blast in the Philippines and in Tunisia, which investigators in both countries say may also be linked to the al Qaeda.

All of this comes as U.S. officials are still trying to assess the truthfulness of their top suspect, Abu Zubaydah. They are trying to still determine if he is telling the truth when he says there are threats against U.S. banks, that the al Qaeda has a dirty bomb and he now says there are threats against places where large groups of Americans tend to congregate like shopping malls. Many people in the government believe Zubaydah may simply be provoking law enforce. But a senior official said to CNN earlier this morning, don't believe that he's just telling tall tales, there is some truth in what he is saying -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr with the latest from the Pentagon. Barbara, thank you very much. STARR: You're welcome.

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