The Unusual Suspect

European counter-terrorism officials generally agree that alleged Madrid bombing co-conspirator Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed was plotting something new when they nabbed the 32-year-old in Milan last week. But what, precisely, was Ahmed up to?

After Ahmed's arrest, Italian and Spanish officials described him as a mastermind of the Madrid attacks. But French officials tell TIME that while evidence ties the radical — known as "Mohammed the Egyptian", although he is probably Moroccan — to the bombings, his exact role is unclear. They also refute as "empty" reports claiming Ahmed and fellow jihadists were moving to strike against the Paris Metro. That conclusion, supported by comments from anonymous Italian authorities, was based on intercepted phone calls — calls that led Belgian authorities to arrest 15 other suspects. Italian officials now say the Belgian cell was probably planning action in Iraq.

French authorities stress that the Italian phone taps are vague and full of coded jargon. "Experience has shown Islamists love to talk and talk," one French official notes, saying the method is intended to overwhelm and confuse eavesdroppers. "It's called 'drowning the fish'."

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