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The Imam of Ripoll has successfully managed to lead double lives, he wore casual clothes sometimes jeans, he was overly polite, and unfailingly discreet. He undoubtedly made his scholars follow his foot prints teaching them how to mask their real intentions and beliefs.
Abdelbaki Es Satty, who lived and worked in Ripoll as an Imam is believed to be according to the Spanish authorities the center of the twin attacks that took place in Barcelona and Cambrils last week. His links with extremism were established a decade ago. However he managed to evade the scrutiny of the authorities.
According to an article published by The New York Times, Spanish authorities believe that he was inspired by Al Qaeda Jihadi recruiters whom he had contacted 11 years ago. He used their methods and ways to recruit youngsters but this time for the infamous Islamic state organization. «He was really nice, charming, really polite, but he was too polite, too correct,» said Wafa Marsi, a 30-year-old woman who knew the older members of the cell that the Imam created in Ripoll.
«Usually you can get a sense of a person by their look, their smile, but you couldn’t with him”, she said reffering to how deceiving Es Satty's manners were. «And that is why I did not trust him», she confirmed.
The head of the Ripoll cell died in the unpredicted explosion that has blown the laboratory where Es Satty and his followers were making explosive devices. The house in Alcanar exploded on the 16th of August just a few days before the two attacks. An event that changed mostly the majority of the plans the cell had. It is believed that it was then that they decided to use cars to carry their attacks.
Court’s record, indicate that the police found in the ruins of the exploded house a book belonging to the Imam entitled «Soldier of the Islamic State in the Land of Andalucia». Even after his death, the imam’s influence was strong enough to be resisted. The young terrorists carried out their plans. They have killed 15 people and managed to injure at least 120 others in two car ramming attacks.
According to New York Times, the imam’s ability of keeping a low profile made of him an experienced recruiter who managed to hide his background. One of the things that helped him escape and avoid all allegations is that he was arrested in the past for drug trafficking. He had an almost clear record when it comes to terrorism-related offences.
Links with other extremists
However, according Fernando Reinares, the director of the Program on Global Terrorism at the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid said that «Abdelbaki Es Satty had some kind of contacts, dating back a decade ago, with facilitators of the Madrid train bombing network based in Catalonia and, subsequently, while in prison, with a member of that same terrorist network».
Es Satty was born in Morocco in 1970, in a village near Chaouen. «He told the Mosque of Ripoll that he had 9 children and did not reveal the fact that he had been charged of drug-trafficking related offences», the same source points out. Es Satty’s document were found in the house of one of the accused recruiters namely Mohamed Mrabet Fahsi, who said that he had the papers because of his work at a local mosque. The court ultimately dismissed the case for lack of evidence.
In 2012 he was sentenced to two years in prison for drug trafficking. In prison he met Rachid Aglif, known as «El Conejo», who was charged of being related to the Madrid bombing. In 2015, Essaty was released for showing «employment and an effort to integrate.»
In 2016 he went to Belgium, although there is no information saying that he met with extremists there. The country is considered a hub for jihadists especially after the Paris and Brussels’ attack.
