Rabei Osman
Encyclopedia
Rabei Osman born July 22, 1971, Alazizya-Samnoud, Egypt
is an Egyptian citizen who was arrested on July 2004 by Italian State Police on terrorism charges. He was accused of multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, stealing a vehicle, belonging to a terrorist organisation (al-Jihad) and four counts of carrying out terrorist acts of the 2004 Madrid train bombings.
Osman speaks 8 languages around Europe
and he knows German
, Italian
, Spanish
, French
, German
, English
and Arabic when he entered Europe for the first time after leaving his native Egypt
in 1999.
on July 22, 1971. His family came from a middle class family. Italian and Spanish arrest warrants suggest he became a member of the terrorist organization “Egyptian Islamic Jihad”, one of al-Qaeda's
backbone groups, which was led by Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri
, Osama bin Laden's
right hand man and mentor.
He served for 3 years in the Egyptian Army
as part of the service, then served for an extra two more years. He allegedly was stationed in the explosives brigade in Port Said
and considered an expert in bombs. He left the country in 1996. However, Egypt
ian police and Egyptian embassy officials can’t confirm the allegations Rabei was a member of the terrorist group or became an explosives expert in the army. After leaving his native Egypt, he may have traveled to several countries such as Afghanistan
, Syria
and Jordan
for terrorist training.
to France
on June 20, 1999. He doesn’t know why he was traveling to France remains unknown. When he was arrested, he introduced himself as Muhammad Abdul Hadi Fayed, and claimed to be a stateless Palestinian
person who came from Libya to stay in Frankfurt, Germany. However, the authorities could not verify any of this information.
Rabei applied for political asylum as a Palestinian refugee. His request was denied in July 1999 and he was sent promptly to prison. While in prison, he worked as a prison janitor. He was released in September 12, 2000 and sent to a hostel for asylum seekers in Lebach, Saarland, Germany
. At the refugee center, people noticed he was very religious and spoke English well. Rabei started a prayer group and began to act as a kind of an imam.
, In August 2001, he traveled to Spain
for week or two, then returned to the center and prepared to depart. He was last seen on August 29, 2001, and was thought to have gone on his way to Spain
. On September 6, 2001 before 9/11 attacks begins, Rabei visited the Egyptian embassy in Madrid and applied for a new Spanish
passport, saying he lost his old one.
However, in the aftermath of 9/11, German
authorities began investigating thousands of Muslims to see if any are tied to the Hamburg cell
. In so doing, they re-examined the case of Rabei, the "Palestinian". But again their investigations proved that it’s hard.
It is very unclear how Rabei supported himself at this time. Some reports say that he worked as a painter. Other reports claim that he received sizable amounts of money from a Saudi Sheikh
named Salman al-'Auda.
He went to local mosques in Madrid but was eventually asked to leave at least one of them because he was considered too radical and very annoying. According to the Spanish El Pais newspaper, Rabei and a Tunisian, Sarhane Ben Abdelmajid Fakhet, had ties with individuals belonging to al-Qaeda
.
Sarhane had belonged to Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas' al-Qaeda
since 1996. Yarkas had been investigated by Judge Balthasar Garzon of Spain for an alleged connection with the September 11th attacks. Sarhane, one of seven who died in the Leganes blast on April 3, 2004 apparently found Rabei's explosives expertise helpful in planning and executing the Madrid terrorist attack.
Rabei may also have been connected with groups associated with al-Qaeda such as Takfir wal-Hijra movement, an extremist Islamist sect. Takfir a organization was founded in Egypt
in the 1970s and embraces the most violent strain of salafist jihadist ideology.
Rabei left the country on February 27, 2003 and headed to France
, fearful the Spanish
police had discovered his whereabouts.
authorities notified the French
people that Rabei was about to move to Paris
. The police located him in Vincennes where he was staying with his cousin Elsheshtawy Ahmed.
He was placed under surveillance but didn't appear to have ties to any radical Islamic movements in France
. The police mostly lost contacts with him at some juncture. He appeared to have been involved in forging documents for those living in the country illegally. He also worked as a construction worker and house painter in Paris. He continued to maintain contact with his friends in Spain
.
. The three share an apartment in an upscale neighbourhood of via Cadore which they could afford by pooling their money.
After the bomb attacks occur in Mar c h 11th, 2004, the Spanish police arrested a total number of suspects. One of them had Rabei's cell phone number in his address book. The Spanish police ask the Milanese police to place Rabei on surveillance. Having their teeth investigating Mafioso, left-wing and Islamist terrorists for several years, the Milanese police are skilled at wiretapping Rabei's home, phone and computer.
Not long after he is placed under surveillance, Rabei moved to another apartment on the outskirts of Milan
, probably in early April 2004. The police placed that flat under surveillance as well, wiretapping the phone, rooms and computer. By then, Rabei had recruited a young Egyptian, Yehia Ragheh, 21, to become a possible suicide bomber in Iraq. In one of their recorded conversations Rabei makes a stunning admission.
He also was in touch with a man by the name of Mourad from Belgium
and someone by the name of Muhammad Ragheh in France
. They discussed in oblique terms the eventuality of becoming suicide bombers.
After listening to Rabei and Yehia for two full months, the police grew worried that Rabei was planning another attack in Belgium with the help of Mourad. They decided to arrest him for good, although they would have liked to keep him under surveillance for far longer.
On June 7, he and Yahiya were arrested. The next day, Belgian federal police arrested Mourad for the same connection.
on June 11th, 2006 to 10 years in prison for plotting terror attack in Italy
and afterwards was extradited to Spain
in 2007.
On February 2007 Rabei Osman's trial began in Madrid
, along with other 28 defendants
, for having a key role in the 2004 Madrid train bombings. On October 2007 Rabei Osman was acquited in Madrid from all charges with other 5 suspects.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
is an Egyptian citizen who was arrested on July 2004 by Italian State Police on terrorism charges. He was accused of multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, stealing a vehicle, belonging to a terrorist organisation (al-Jihad) and four counts of carrying out terrorist acts of the 2004 Madrid train bombings.
Osman speaks 8 languages around Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and he knows German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Arabic when he entered Europe for the first time after leaving his native Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1999.
Life in Egypt
He was born in Alazizya-Samnoud in EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on July 22, 1971. His family came from a middle class family. Italian and Spanish arrest warrants suggest he became a member of the terrorist organization “Egyptian Islamic Jihad”, one of al-Qaeda's
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
backbone groups, which was led by Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian physician, Islamic theologian and current leader of al-Qaeda. He was previously the second and last "emir" of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, having succeeded Abbud al-Zumar in the latter role when Egyptian authorities sentenced al-Zumar to life...
, Osama bin Laden's
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
right hand man and mentor.
He served for 3 years in the Egyptian Army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
as part of the service, then served for an extra two more years. He allegedly was stationed in the explosives brigade in Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
and considered an expert in bombs. He left the country in 1996. However, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian police and Egyptian embassy officials can’t confirm the allegations Rabei was a member of the terrorist group or became an explosives expert in the army. After leaving his native Egypt, he may have traveled to several countries such as Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
for terrorist training.
Germany (1999–2001)
Rabei flew into Frankfurt, Germany on June 1999. He was arrested for not having any identification while travelling on a train from GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on June 20, 1999. He doesn’t know why he was traveling to France remains unknown. When he was arrested, he introduced himself as Muhammad Abdul Hadi Fayed, and claimed to be a stateless Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
person who came from Libya to stay in Frankfurt, Germany. However, the authorities could not verify any of this information.
Rabei applied for political asylum as a Palestinian refugee. His request was denied in July 1999 and he was sent promptly to prison. While in prison, he worked as a prison janitor. He was released in September 12, 2000 and sent to a hostel for asylum seekers in Lebach, Saarland, Germany
Lebach
Lebach is a town in the district of Saarlouis, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approx. 15 km northeast of Saarlouis, and 20 km north of Saarbrücken.-External links:*...
. At the refugee center, people noticed he was very religious and spoke English well. Rabei started a prayer group and began to act as a kind of an imam.
Spain (2001–2003)
Although he was not supposed to leave the refugee hostel in asylum GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, In August 2001, he traveled to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
for week or two, then returned to the center and prepared to depart. He was last seen on August 29, 2001, and was thought to have gone on his way to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. On September 6, 2001 before 9/11 attacks begins, Rabei visited the Egyptian embassy in Madrid and applied for a new Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
passport, saying he lost his old one.
However, in the aftermath of 9/11, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
authorities began investigating thousands of Muslims to see if any are tied to the Hamburg cell
Hamburg cell
The Hamburg cell was, according to U.S. and German intelligence agencies, a group of radical Islamists based in Hamburg, Germany that included students who eventually came to be key operatives in the 9/11 attacks...
. In so doing, they re-examined the case of Rabei, the "Palestinian". But again their investigations proved that it’s hard.
It is very unclear how Rabei supported himself at this time. Some reports say that he worked as a painter. Other reports claim that he received sizable amounts of money from a Saudi Sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
named Salman al-'Auda.
He went to local mosques in Madrid but was eventually asked to leave at least one of them because he was considered too radical and very annoying. According to the Spanish El Pais newspaper, Rabei and a Tunisian, Sarhane Ben Abdelmajid Fakhet, had ties with individuals belonging to al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
.
Sarhane had belonged to Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas' al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
since 1996. Yarkas had been investigated by Judge Balthasar Garzon of Spain for an alleged connection with the September 11th attacks. Sarhane, one of seven who died in the Leganes blast on April 3, 2004 apparently found Rabei's explosives expertise helpful in planning and executing the Madrid terrorist attack.
Rabei may also have been connected with groups associated with al-Qaeda such as Takfir wal-Hijra movement, an extremist Islamist sect. Takfir a organization was founded in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in the 1970s and embraces the most violent strain of salafist jihadist ideology.
Rabei left the country on February 27, 2003 and headed to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, fearful the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
police had discovered his whereabouts.
France (2003 - 2004)
On February 28, 2003, SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
authorities notified the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
people that Rabei was about to move to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The police located him in Vincennes where he was staying with his cousin Elsheshtawy Ahmed.
He was placed under surveillance but didn't appear to have ties to any radical Islamic movements in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The police mostly lost contacts with him at some juncture. He appeared to have been involved in forging documents for those living in the country illegally. He also worked as a construction worker and house painter in Paris. He continued to maintain contact with his friends in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Italy (January 2004 – June 2004 arrest)
Rabei arrived in Milan, Italy in January 2004, and moved in with his brother-in-law Ghazi Bidel and Bidel's cousin Wael - both of whom work in a local pizzeria in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. The three share an apartment in an upscale neighbourhood of via Cadore which they could afford by pooling their money.
After the bomb attacks occur in Mar c h 11th, 2004, the Spanish police arrested a total number of suspects. One of them had Rabei's cell phone number in his address book. The Spanish police ask the Milanese police to place Rabei on surveillance. Having their teeth investigating Mafioso, left-wing and Islamist terrorists for several years, the Milanese police are skilled at wiretapping Rabei's home, phone and computer.
Not long after he is placed under surveillance, Rabei moved to another apartment on the outskirts of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, probably in early April 2004. The police placed that flat under surveillance as well, wiretapping the phone, rooms and computer. By then, Rabei had recruited a young Egyptian, Yehia Ragheh, 21, to become a possible suicide bomber in Iraq. In one of their recorded conversations Rabei makes a stunning admission.
He also was in touch with a man by the name of Mourad from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and someone by the name of Muhammad Ragheh in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. They discussed in oblique terms the eventuality of becoming suicide bombers.
After listening to Rabei and Yehia for two full months, the police grew worried that Rabei was planning another attack in Belgium with the help of Mourad. They decided to arrest him for good, although they would have liked to keep him under surveillance for far longer.
On June 7, he and Yahiya were arrested. The next day, Belgian federal police arrested Mourad for the same connection.
Aftermath
Rabei Osman was sentenced in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
on June 11th, 2006 to 10 years in prison for plotting terror attack in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and afterwards was extradited to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 2007.
On February 2007 Rabei Osman's trial began in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, along with other 28 defendants
2004 Madrid train bombings suspects
A list of suspects and convictions related to the 2004 Madrid Train Bombings.- Defendants :Jamal Zougam - found guilty and given a 50 year jail sentence, was arrested two days after the March 2004 attacks....
, for having a key role in the 2004 Madrid train bombings. On October 2007 Rabei Osman was acquited in Madrid from all charges with other 5 suspects.