Conspiracy Still in the Air as Spain Marks Bombings (Islamics Didn't Do It)

By Paul Haven THREE years on from the train bombings that killed 191 people and injured more than 1,800, Spain’s political and social wounds are still aching, and the country is torn by a host of conspiracy theories.

Yesterday the nation remembered the victims with a towering glass monument bearing messages of condolence written in the days after the attacks.

King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and senior government officials presided over the ceremony outside the Atocha rail station, one of four targets in the string of 10 backpack bombs that ripped apart morning rush-hour commuter trains on March 11, 2004 —. Europe’s worst terrorist attack.

The monument unveiled at the short, sombre ceremony is an irregularly shaped, 35-foot-tall glass cylinder with a transparent inner membrane bearing messages of condolence that Spaniards left at Atocha station after the attacks — on notes left at makeshift memorials of flowers and candles, or on a computer set up for them to record their thoughts.

Meanwhile, those who refuse to believe the official version of events, that Islamic militants were behind the attack, point their fingers in several directions — at Spain’s own security forces, an attempted left-wing coup d’etat, and, most commonly, the Basque separatist group ETA. Anger still smoulders over the government’s initial blaming of ETA for the attack. It is seen as the main reason the conservative Popular Party was voted out of office in national elections three days after the attack.

Polls show about a third of Spaniards — many of them conservative voters — don’t believe the official version of events. The conspiracy theories are kept alive by Popular Party leaders and the country’s most influential right-wing newspaper, El Mundo, which has run a series of articles casting doubt on the government’s case.

The Popular Party still hammers away almost obsessively at the possibility of an ETA link. Were it established, it would absolve the party of the claim that it lied in the three grief-stricken days between the bombing and the election.

“It’s extraordinary how these conspiracy theories have survived, and if anything have expanded and contaminated people’s minds,” said Charles Powell, a political scientist at San Pablo-CEU University in Madrid. “One has to remember that the March 11 attacks were the first time a Spanish government has been brought down as a result of a terror attack... and that has proved extremely disconcerting, particularly to conservative voters.”

Incorrigible

Thank you for the ping!

FLOutdoorsman

'Europe’s worst terrorist attack'

By number of deaths, the PAM AM flight bombing over Lockerbie was worse.

Now with the Paul Haven article:

“Polls show about a third of Spaniards — many of them conservative voters — don’t believe the official version of events.”

Well, the Freereps have data pointing out the contrary, as I published here:
-------------------------------
Other news from the Spanish Free Media concerning 3/11:

Another poll from EL MUNDO regarding 3/11. 800 Spaniards nationwide asked between December 26-28th 2006.

3/11 Attacks. The Search for the Truth. Poll from EL MUNDO-SIGMA DOS

Between brackets, October 2006 results.
1. Do you think essentially that all the truth about 3/11 is already known?
No: 70.4 %..... (67.5 %)
Yes: 21 %..... (24.3%)
No answer/don’t know: 8.6 %..... (8.2 %)

Divided by last vote categories:
Socialist: NO 57.1%
Right wing: NO 87.1 %
Communist: NO 46.9 %
Others: NO 71.3 %

---------------------------------
I am afraid, Mr. Haven, it is simply the contrary: just one third of Spaniards believe the Official Conspiracy Version. Even Socialist voters majoritarily don't believe it.

The conspiracy theories are kept alive by Popular Party leaders and the country’s most influential right-wing newspaper, El Mundo, which has run a series of articles casting doubt on the government’s case.

First LIE. They are no theories, because there are evidences.

Second LIE. I am afraid the Popular Party was involved in some way in the Leganes events of April 3rd 2004. The Popular Party does not want the truth on 3/11 either, beyond Zaplana, Del Burgo and a few others. The Victims of Terrorism and free citizens are the ones that demand the truth.

Third LIE. EL MUNDO newspaper is not a right wing newspaper as his nasty stance on the war in Iraq shows.

The Popular Party still hammers away almost obsessively at the possibility of an ETA link.

Fourth LIE. People like Mr. Haven and Mr. Brisard, are the ones that obsessively and without evidence keep alive the Islamic connection, even though, there were no suicide bombers on the trains.

“It’s extraordinary how these conspiracy theories have survived, and if anything have expanded and contaminated people’s minds,” said Charles Powell, a political scientist at San Pablo-CEU University in Madrid. “One has to remember that the March 11 attacks were the first time a Spanish government has been brought down as a result of a terror attack... and that has proved extremely disconcerting, particularly to conservative voters.”

Of course, Mr. Powell, as Mr. Brisard or Mr. Haven, thought the Spaniards could be easily cowed, as it happened with the Casablanca attacks. It is "extremely disconcerting" that a young Spaniard with limited english skills spends his Saturday morning free time tackling all the lies they have built, informing the rest of the world what they are desperately trying to hide, and that this guy is able to put evidences on the desk that they cannot discuss, as Mr. Brisard fascist ways prove.

Disconcerting indeed.

These guys should inform their bosses that killing Spaniards is getting increasingly expensive, much more than firstly assessed.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.