The lack of coordination and information from the Spanish security forces towards the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) worries Washington. Democratic senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, complained this Sunday that the Spanish authorities didn't react more efficiently or effectively with the information the CIA had given them. "It’s unacceptable to see the signs we saw in Spain and still the tragedies that took place," said Cardin on Fox News Sunday.
"Clearly something was missed here and we have to find out how that was missed", said Cardin when the presenter asked him about the level of confidence that "we're making any progress on [the fight against terrorism]".
Lack of Information
The information that the CIA had provided never reached the Mossos. Neither Cardin nor the presenter knew the context of the tension between the Spanish and Catalan Interior ministries, which has intensified since the start of the year, as reported by Público (in Spanish). Although the Mossos are a "comprehensive police", that is, they have primary responsibility for the security of Catalonia, the Spanish ministry deprived them of access to the data and resources of CITCO (Centre of Intelligence against Terrorism and Organised Crime), nor did it let them join the EU-wide Europol police warnings and information system.
The Catalan government's representative to Catalonia, Enric Millo, admitted as much this Monday morning:
Translation: "The Mossos already have Europol information available through the [Spanish] state. From September they'll have it directly"
In June another minister, from the Treasury this time, required the Catalan Interior ministry to withdraw the adverts to hire 500 news Mossos agents. The ministry refused and the places were advertised anyway. The Catalan government, in defence of its actions, alluded to an agreement with the Spanish government from 2006 according to which the Mossos should currently have 1500 more agents than they do. Catalan government sources have told El Nacional that, following the attack, with the terrorism warning level still at level 4 of 5, Mossos agents are doing 12-hour long shifts.
These, along with their permanent presence at the Board for the Evaluation of the Terrorist Threat (which the Mossos attend only on occasion as invited guests), are the topics the Catalan government wants to discuss in the Security Board of Catalonia, which coordinates the public administration and the Catalan and Spanish security bodies. Despite the insistence from the Catalan Interior ministry, their Spanish homologue's had been delaying the meeting for eight years. It was finally held on 10th July after Catalan president Puigdemont decided to call it regardless.
Unacceptable
In Washington, then, the situation of security management in Spain is starting to be questioned. “What happened in Spain looks like it was well-coordinated and we need to be better at tracking these things down," said Cardin. While he's speaking, the on-screen graphic reads “officials failed to detect network around Barcelona”.
The news presenter, continuing along the same line, complains that “reports suggest the CIA told authorities in Barcelona two months ago to be on the lookout and nothing changed. A house blew up on Wednesday night [in Alcanar] and still there was no action taken”. He is half-misinformed, obviously, because the CIA's warning never reached Barcelona and the Mossos did act following the explosion. The question, however, shows the level of restlessness with which this question is being discussed in Washington.
It's worth saying that the programme was on Fox News, a channel openly in favour of Trump, and that the presenter slightly argues with Cardin, who started with an attack on the president's foreign policy, which he insinuates is alienating the US' traditional allies in Europe.
The Washington Post summarised Cardin's statements as follows: The recent terrorist attack in Barcelona was “unacceptable” given the intelligence the United States had leading up to it.”