Madrid terror suspect had Montreal Metro info

Updated Wed. Nov. 23 2005 11:29 PM ET

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A Spanish newspaper is reporting that information about Montreal’s subway system was found on the computer of a man questioned in relation to the Madrid terror bombings.

"It’s the kind of information that people who are preparing an attack will need," terrorism expert Michel Juneau-Katsuya told CTV News. "It’s far from information a simple tourist who wanted to use the metro would be using."

The El Pais newspaper reports police found detailed plans and photos of the Montreal Metro on the hard drive of Abdelhak Chergui’s computer. It also included information on things like seat layouts, passenger capacities, and the timings of when doors open and close.

Chergui is a 32-year-old telecommunications student from Morocco. He was arrested in May along with his brother Abdelkhalak, and questioned by investigators.

At the time, police said the pair was suspected of helping finance the Madrid attacks and providing weapons to those who carried them out. Abdelhak Chergui was also suspected of jamming the phone lines in Spain during those attacks.

The brothers were released on a lack of evidence, but they were ordered to surrender their passports.

"It is a little bit alarming to see that the judge in this particular case released the individuals," said Juneau-Katsuya. "It does not mean that the information was not extremely pertinent for the case."

Transit and security officials in Montreal say they are aware of the report, but are refusing to comment further.

"They’re likely to have received the information much earlier than the journalists," said Juneau-Katsuya.

Also found was an ad for a Bruce Willis movie that was shot in the Montreal transit system.

In addition, the report says the computer had detailed information on Spanish trains and a map of the London underground.

On March 11, 2004 bombs blew through trains in Madrid, killing 191 people and wounding more than 1,500.

Militants claimed responsibility for the blasts, and said they were acting on behalf of al Qaeda. They said the attacks were in retaliation for the presence of Spanish troops in Iraq who were sent by then Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, a conservative.

Socialists, led by Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, won an election three days after the bombings. Shortly after Zapatero took power, Spanish troops were pulled out of Iraq.

In total, 26 people are in jail in connection with the Madrid bombings, but 80 more have been questioned and released.

Federal Minister of Transportation Jean LaPierre says there’s no imminent risk to the Canadian transportation network, but he knows Canada is on the list of some terrorists.

On Wednesday, LaPierre announced a $110 million investment in big city transit security.

"This contribution program is going to cover 75 per cent of the cost that the transit authorities are going to incur in their security measures," LaPierre told reporters in Ottawa.

"When I travel the country I realize that most transit authorities don’t have the money, and so if we want them to make it a priority we have to have a substantial contribution."

Canada, among other countries, has been listed by Osama bin Laden as a terrorist target, but RCMP officials say there is no evidence of any imminent or concrete threat.

"Now, some of those countries have already been targeted, and we’re getting close to being next on the roll," said Juneau-Katsuya.