Today the FBI has confirmed reports published yesterday in Newsweek that a US lawyer had been detained by the FBI in connection with the 11th March Madrid train bombings

Brandon Mayfield, 37, was arrested on a material witness warrant and has not been charged with any crime, according to El Pais. This kind of warrant allows the government to hold people suspected of having direct knowledge about a crime or to allow time for further investigation into the witness.

Yesterday Newsweek quoted sources as saying the lawyer had been under round-the-clock surveillance by the FBI for some time and that he was arrested by FBI agents in Portland. His family have denied that Brandon has any connection to terrorist attacks.»