Madrid explosions - Snapshot of latest developments - 1450 GMT
informer | 11.03.2004 15:55 | World
* 173 killed in multiple simultaneous explosions on packed Madrid trains at three train stations, nearly 900 wounded
* 13 explosions in total, three controlled by security forces
* No warning given
* No claim of responsibility
* Spanish conservative government blames Basque separatist group ETA
* Radical Basque nationalist says he does not think ETA carried out the attacks
* Spanish election on Sunday, but campaigning was suspended after the bombs. Debate over ETA had played large part in the campaign
* Spain is part of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq
* 13 explosions in total, three controlled by security forces
* No warning given
* No claim of responsibility
* Spanish conservative government blames Basque separatist group ETA
* Radical Basque nationalist says he does not think ETA carried out the attacks
* Spanish election on Sunday, but campaigning was suspended after the bombs. Debate over ETA had played large part in the campaign
* Spain is part of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq
informer
Comments
Hide the following 6 comments
Batasuna condemns the bombings ( fetched from Reuters 11 Mar 04, 18:00 )
11.03.2004 18:17
Batasuna, accused by the government of being an integral part of ETA, has never before rejected ETA attacks.
Batasuna said it was convinced ETA did not carry out the bombings, instead suspecting Islamic extremists. The attack would mark a radical escalation for ETA, which previously was blamed for 850 killings since 1968.
An Interior Ministry source declined to comment on the Batasuna statement. Authorities have blamed ETA, which is listed as a terrorist organisation by the European Union and the United States.
ETA usually waits days or weeks before taking responsibility for attacks, none of which has come close to the scope of Thursday's bombings.
Batasuna is also on the U.S. and EU terrorist lists, and Spanish courts have held that it is an integral part of ETA, although Batasuna denies any links.
"The Basque pro-independence left wishes to clearly express the most absolute rejection of what happened today in Madrid. Indiscriminate actions against civilians, against workers ... are absolutely and firmly rejected," Batasuna leader Arnaldo Otegi said in a statement he read aloud.
A spokesman for Batasuna said the statement would be valid "no matter what happens". Asked if that would stand even if ETA were to claim the attack, the spokesman said, "we are not going to change this analysis."
A similar statement from the office of Batasuna's representative in the European Parliament, Koldo Gorostiaga, said: "The action should be considered as a massacre, and it does not have any justification".
informer
20:00 GMT Latest
11.03.2004 20:15
Unbeliever
who knows?
11.03.2004 21:48
"MADRID, Spain (AP) - Police found a van Thursday with detonators and an Arabic-language audio tape with Quranic verses and officials investigating the Madrid bombings that killed 192 people said they weren't ruling out anything, Interior Minister Angel Acebes said.
Meanwhile, a London-based Arabic newspaper, Al-Quds al-Arabi, said it had received a claim of responsibility for the Madrid train bombings issued by The Brigade of Abu Hafs al-Masri in the name of al-Qaida."
MI5 predicted that these sort of attacks would take place after an invasion of Iraq.
mark
Agreed - we don't know
11.03.2004 22:40
I don't agree with your first statement. I think we are meant to believe that this is the work of Al Qaeda, that the war on terror is what Bush says it is and that he should therefore be elected. Go figure
Unbeliever
If it is al-qaeda
11.03.2004 23:17
I suppose it might enhance Bush's reelection chances, but I'ld be surprised if they could plant evidence so quickly.
mark
OK...Coward
12.03.2004 17:07
Don't worry...Islamists will be putting us all on the front lines...you can't vote for them either.
Osama isn't running for election