Some cynics might regard the setting up of such a place as stemming from a conspiracy theory cos I wonder how many of us - except perhaps sharp-eyed Americans - have seen the 60,000 dangerous male and single Pakistanis who, according to Wikileaks, move around BCN unimpeded. On a quick random count on a Metro carriage (jam-packed, Line 3) Pakistanis scored nil. Perhaps I was travelling in a different carriage to the Embassy staff. I did see a few walking up and down Las Ramblas and manning the souvenir shops but 60,000. Come on!
Because of these high numbers of Pakistanis and a big Arab population, the Embassy suggests that Catalan cities constitute 'a Mediterranean region of jihadist activity, with BCN as a hub', supposedly used as a crossroads for people and goods moving to and from Rabat,Tunis, Algiers and the south of France.
The reports state the Pakistanis and many other Muslims 'live on the margins of BCN society' (unsurprisingly since who can afford the bloody sky-high rents here!) and that they 'don't speak the language.' Well, most of the ones I've heard in shops put all us expats to shame with their fluency. Moreover they are all deemed 'resentful since they don't have places to worship in' - ie mosques. I can understand why Catalans might be resentful with Allah Wakbar bellowing out five times a day from a digital speaker near you, but aren't we all constantly deafened by the 24 hour monster cacophony created by traffic, drunks, car stereos, over-loud club music, ambulances, slamming doors and paraqueets so who'd notice an immam or three shouting from the rooftops.
But perhaps there's lots of hard evidence somewhere else to make this conspiracy theory a reality. Newspaper archives for example. Yes, well they certainly show dangerous terrorists are on the loose here - especially the right-wing La Vanguardia: in 2008, fourteen (out of the reputed 60,000 Pakistanis that's 0.02% by the way) with ties to jihad groups back home were arrested and sentenced for planning an attack on the BCN Metro. The suspects had stolen passports, some of which the Mumbai terrorists were using when captured last year. (Why did they carry passports?) One (yes, you heard correctly) one passport stolen in Barcelona was used by the head of the Unit which organised 9/11; last week seven more 'terrorists' (that's 0.01%) were arrested in the city again with ties to terror groups back home. Of course there would have been many more arrests but police admit that the Pakistani community is 'very difficult to penetrate'. Should the police should start learning Urdu with so many around? A few Salaam aleekums and handshakes wouldn't go amiss either.
Then it's the 'organised crime' aspect then which provides a stronger reason for basing a US Crime Centre in Barcelona? Well, yes, there are more tangible signs for the existence of that. South American and Eastern European drug cartels market are said to operate freely here; Mafia gangs launder their money in the region's businesses so it's no wonder the Barcelona region has 25% of Europe's 500 euro notes circulating around its shops and shops; Albanians, Chinese, and Romanians people-traffic through Gerona and El Prat bringing in sad women to work the streets and clubs. High-profile Italian mafioso seem to be on permanent vacation here with their life of luxury only occasionally disturbed by the odd arrest now and then. But does it have to be an American Crime Centre? Don't they have their own problems to deal with over there?
But all this theorising might seem to be irrelevant as the idea may not even get off the ground. The Americans forgot there's a political problem to consider. Although the Spanish Government in principle is favorable to the idea of helping out Los Yonquees, it's not so happy ceding powers of national security to Catalunia. Well what's new? Back to square one again with its petty inter-regional squabbles. What did the cables recommend to get round them I wonder?
Actually the whole affair smells a bit fishy, as if America is looking for a reason to set up some kind of holding centre here for terror suspects and is usingthe high level criminal in Europe thing as an excuse. We need to remember Cuba and Guantanamo Bay are not so politically correct these days. The whole thing smacks of a desperate need for control, control and more control. Whether PM, Mr Bean, will give in to pressure from the White House remains to be seen.
Are you as a resident like me un-affected in your day-to-day-life by terrorism and crime apaprt from the occasional pick-pocket or bag heist attempt? Or do you pound the pavements of Passeig de Gracia and Diagonal with your heart in your mouth fearful that every brown-skinned man (or female) you pass could be a suicide bomber? If you thought Barcelona is bad, mosey on down to Palau Virreina and take a look at the exhibition of crime scenes by a French photo journalist from Nice. Now there's a place place to set up this Super Crime Centre.
