Tuesday, September 21, 2004

LAST WEEK, 10 Pakistani citizens, suspect of giving logistical support to Islamic terrorism, were arrested in Barcelona. They were found to have detailed footage of Barcelona's 'twin towers':
Ten Pakistanis arrested in Spain in possession of false documents and heroin also had a video showing details of two landmark buildings known as the country's twin towers, it was reported Monday.

The Spanish daily La Vanguardia reported the hour-long video featured the 154-metre (506-foot) Mapfre Tower and nearby Hotel Arts in Barcelona.

[...] La Vanguardia also said that police who carried out the raids had found no evidence that the Pakistanis were planning to attack the Mapfre Tower and Hotel Arts, but added that the video could have been used as "basic information" for that purpose.

Commonly known as twin towers, the buildings are the same height and were the tallest in Spain when erected in 1992.

But they are not identical in appearance or structure, since the 40-storey tower is built of concrete while the 44-floor hotel has an all-steel structure.
The two towers are right on the city's seaside, in an area which was extensively renovated and re-urbanized for the 1992 Olympic games. You can see some pictures here.

(Crossposted at The Command Post)