Madrid bombs suspect quotes pope

Madrid bombs suspect quotes pope

Source Link: www.cnn.com

MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- An accused mastermind of the Madrid train bombings took the stand again Monday and strengthened his denial of any involvement in the attacks in March 2004 that killed 191 people, at one point seeming to compare himself with Pope Benedict XVI.

Rabei Osman el Sayed Ahmed, 35, alias Mohamed the Egyptian, was the first defendant to testify when the trial began February 15. At that time, he condemned the attacks and denied any link.

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If convicted, Ahmed and six other prime defendants in the trial could each face sentences of about 38,000 years in prison, for mass murder, although none would serve more than 40 years, the maximum allowed under Spanish law, which does not permit the death penalty.

38,000 years!? crikey.... I know it says they wont serve more than 40 years, so what is the point in the 38,000 years?