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Terror suspect in Spain for questioning

A Spaniard held at the US base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for two years for his suspected links with the al-Qaeda terror network arrived in Spain on Friday evening for questioning by a judge.

Hamed Abderrahman Ahmad, 29, who was captured in Afghanistan in late 2001, arrived at Madrid's military airport and was immediately taken to Judge Baltasar Garzon at the national court for an initial interview.

"It's a great day, because he has become a human being again," Ahmad's lawyer Javier Nart said outside the court house.

Court sources said Ahmad would be informed of the charges against him and then either jailed or taken to a hospital for treatment, depending on his state of health after his detention in Guantanamo.

The Spaniard, from Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, is one of four Guantanamo inmates that Garzon has charged with belonging to a terrorist organization, by association with Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, the jailed alleged leader of an al-Qaeda cell in Spain broken up in November 2001.

Garzon was not expected to bring Ahmad back for more detailed questioning for another two weeks.

Also on Friday, the Spanish government began extradition proceedings for three other suspected members of the Spanish cell.

At a regularly scheduled Cabinet meeting, ministers approved a request from Garzon that the government ask the US to extradite the three to Spain.

They have been identified as Lahcen Ikassrien, Jamiel Abdul Latif Al Banna and Omar Deghayes. Their nationalities have not been released.

A total of 87 detainees have been released from the Guantanamo prison, set up to hold terror suspects arrested in Afghanistan after US forces toppled the Taliban in late 2001.

Another four have been transferred to Saudi Arabia for detention there. About 650 prisoners from around 40 countries remain at Guantanamo, US military officials said.
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