Three people involved in Casablanca plot confess having trained to carry out suicide bombings
Morocco, Local, 5/29/2003

Three people arrested in connection with the terrorist attacks that hit Casablanca on May 16th confessed having trained to carry out suicide operations, said on Wednesday the prosecutor of the Casablanca Court of Appeal.

In a statement to the press, the prosecutor said the three suspects, who were brought to trial on Tuesday, confessed their membership to a group led by a man called Abdelhak, alias "Moul Sebbat," who was "the major coordinator" between Mohamed El Omari, alias, Abou Zouheir (watchman), Rachid Jalil alias Abou Anas(welder) and Yassine Lahnech alias Abou Ibrahim (street hawker).

Mohamed El Omari was wounded when he was rounded up close by Farah Hotel, one of the five targets hit by the terrorists, says the Prosecutor, adding the plotter was carrying a plastic bottle containing powder and a wick, as well as knife stained with blood. Investigation found that El Omari was ready to commit a suicide bombing operation inside the Farah Hotel, "as he himself confessed," the prosecutor revealed.

Rachid Jalil was, on his part, one of the 14-member suicide bombers' group, who was supposed to blow himself up at the Jewish social club, said the prosecutor, revealing that the would-be bomber told investigators that the violent explosion he heard in the Positano restaurant, another target of the terrorist plot, dissuaded him from fulfilling his own suicide mission.

The third suspect, Yassine Lahnech, who belongs to the same group, was actually a reserve suicide bomber for similar operations in other cities of the Kingdom, said the prosecutor, noting that the would-be bomber gave "important clues" on other accomplices.

The three people also revealed that they had proclaimed Abdelhaq alias "moul sebbat" their emir (leader), owing him thereby submission, the prosecutor told the press announcing that Abdelhaq, who was arrested in Fez on May 26th, died as he was transferred to hospital.

The Casablanca prosecutor ordered a post-mortem autopsy that was undertaken by a team of forensic pathologists who concluded "a natural death resulting from an advanced chronic disease."

The man suffered from a heart disease and swollen liver.

"It was established that this disease results from taking a certain type of pills," he went on.

"Unfortunately, his poor health didn't allow interrogators to complete their investigation," said the prosecutor.

The magistrate also announced that another group of people involved in the spate of terrorist attacks that shook Casablanca claiming 43 lives and dozens of injured, would be referred later on Wednesday to the prosecutor for investigation.

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