Imad Yarkas

Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas alias Abu Dahdah is a Syrian-born Spaniard sentenced to a 27-year prison term in Spain for his part in the September 11, 2001 attacks and for his membership in the banned terrorist organization al-Qaeda.

Dahdah was one of 11 people arrested on November 19, 2001, and charged with fundraising for Al-Qaeda operatives, and his alleged role in convincing youths to attend camps in Afghanistan, camps run by his associates Anwar Adnan Mohamed Salah and Mustafa Setmariam Nasar. He was also said to lead the group Soldiers of Allah - He was a member of the Syrian Muslims Brotherhood and fled Syria to Spain in 1986. Imad Yarkas fought, in the early 90s', in the 7 Mujahideen Brigade in Zenica, Bosnia, where an Arab battalion, led by Abdelkader Mokhtari, fought in support of the Bosnian Muslims. Imad Yarkas moved to Spain in 1995 after a visit in Afghanistan where, he later admitted in his trial, he met a senior Al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah.

In Spain Imad Yarkas lived in Madrid and was an Imam in a local Mosque. When Imad Yarkas came to Spain he represent himself also as a second hand car dealer, he also began to encourage and recruit young Spanish Muslims to travel to Afghanistan for military training. Imad Yarkas activity put him under the supervision of the Spanish police and security services. One of his followers Jamal Zougam was later a key operative in executing the Madrid Trains Bombing on 03/11/2004. Imad Yarkas began, from 08/1998, to telephone frequently members of “ Hamburg Cell ” in Germany and in 01/2000 met in Spain, for the first time, Mamoun Darkazanli. They had at least four meetings in Spain in which Mohammed Zouaydi, an Al Qaeda financier, attended also. With another activist in his group, Driss Chebli, Imad Yarkas organized the Tarragona Meeting, on 07/16/2001 in Spain, considered to be the last meeting to coordinate The 9/11. Two weeks before The 9/11 Imad Yarkas received a phone call, taped by the Spanish police, from “Shakur”, later identified as Farid Hilali, saying: "We have entered the field of aviation, and we've even cut the throat of the bird”. A phrase considered after The 9/11 as a code referring to The 9/11. Imad  Yarkass’ phone number was also found in Mohamed Atta s’ flat in Hamburg. -