SPAIN

Aljazeera: Alouni charged with links to 9/11

A Spanish judge has formally charged 35 men, including al-Qaida leader Usama bin Ladin and Aljazeera TV journalist Taysir Alouni, with involvement in the September 11 attacks.

As part of his investigation into an al-Qaida cell operating in Spain, High Court Judge Baltasar Garzon in a 700-page indictment on Wednesday called for Interpol to arrest bin Ladin and extradite him to Spain. He said there was evidence of the 9/11 plot being hatched in Spain.

Among those charged was Taysir Alouni, an Aljazeera correspondent who interviewed bin Ladin shortly after September 11. Syrian-born Alouni was arrested on 5 September and was ordered to remain in prison without bail, pending trial.

Insisting that Alouni is innocent, Aljazeera has accused the United States and Israel of inciting Spain to incriminate him.