Madrid explosions - Snapshot of latest developments - 1450 GMT

MADRID, March 11 (Reuters) - A radical Basque party, banned for refusing to condemn the armed separatist group ETA, has "absolutely rejected" the synchronised bomb attacks that killed at least 182 people in Madrid on Thursday.
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".

Channel 4 news has just reported that a van has been found near Atocha station containing tapes in Arabic - verses from the Koran apparently - along with some detonators. Anyone else smell a rat? What no box cutters or passports, maybe a train timetable.

It's in the interest of the iraq warmongers to deny the possibility that this is an al-qaeda attack. It certainly has all the hallmarks. The only link to ETA so far seems to be the type of explosive used.


"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."

 http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/world/story/1203654p-8188299c.html


MI5 predicted that these sort of attacks would take place after an invasion of Iraq.

Let's think this through...a group of persons unknown is capable of successfully and very professionally exploding ten bombs within thirty minutes in the heart of Madrid (James Bond would be proud of that) but leaves a van with tapes of the Koran and some detonators to be discovered like a bunch of amateurs.


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

But if this is an al-qaeda attack then the 'war on terror' would be failing. It would reduce the chances of Aznar being re-elected if it was an al-qaeda attack. Probably hurt Blair's chances of reelection as well. Call me a coward but I don't want to vote for someone who puts me in the frontline in the war on terror.

I suppose it might enhance Bush's reelection chances, but I'ld be surprised if they could plant evidence so quickly.

"Call me a coward but I don't want to vote for someone who puts me in the frontline in the war on terror."

Don't worry...Islamists will be putting us all on the front lines...you can't vote for them either.