Spain - At least one explosion at Madrid train station [186 dead, over 1000 wounded, graphic photos]

Associated Press | March 10, 2004

[HAL9000]

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- At least one explosion rocked a Madrid train station Thursday, news reports and witnesses said.

Police cars raced to the Atocha station after the early morning explosion. An Associated Press reporter saw a woman with a bloodied face outside the station. Medics were seen treating at least three people.

People living near the station said they heard at least two blasts.

MORE...

[livius]

ETA has carried out a number of attacks in Madrid over the years.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

MADRID - At least 173 people died Thursday and around 400 they were wounded after in the heat of taking place four explosions rush hour in different trains from neighborhoods of Madrid, according to a last balance of victims facilitated by sources of the Department of the Interior.

The explosions took place in two trains located in the station of Atocha, in another one in the station of the Well of the Raimundo Uncle, and in a quarter the one of Santa Eugenia, in the Southeastern of the capital.

The authorities did not doubt in a first moment in attributing the responsibility of the explosions to ETA, but the minister of the Interior, Acebes Angel, said that nadda did not discard.

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Prayers going out for our Spanish allies.

[Rebelbase]

2004 -- Feb 29 - Spanish police avert a possible massacre by intercepting a van carrying more than 500 kg (1,100 lb) of explosives that ETA planned to detonate in Madrid.--

CHRONOLOGY-ETA's history and major attacks

[Peach]

Prayers going up now.

[P.O.E.]

Prayers for our Spanish friends.

There's more than one brand of terrorism that needs to be dealt with harshly. Basque separatists, Arafat's goons, Hamas, etc.

[steveegg]

There's 3 possibilities here:

• The Basques have decided to "break out" and just happened to choose Islamokazi tactics. Personally, I don't see that as likely, though that explanation is very politically expedient in Spain (it seems more people in Spain hate the Basques than hate the Islamokazis).
• The Basques and the Islamokazis are partnering up. Given Col. Hunt's report that the ETA spent recent time in Iraq (attention 'RATs and Frogs), it sure sounds plausible to me.
• The Islamokazis decided to pick up where the Moors left off. Given that Spain used to be a Muslim country that it is well in the War on Terror, this also seems plausible.

I'd be surprised if the ETA were "lone gunmen".

[mware]

With the national election on Sunday, I think the terrorist may have cooked their own goose.

[livius]

ETA has been trying to pull off an attack like this for a long time, and has only been stopped by vigilant police work. How they finally managed to carry out such a massive attack is going to be a question.

ETA trains with all of the other terrorist groups (Islamic groups, IRA, etc.) and they all share the same techniques. It's possible, I suppose, that ETA had help with this one, but AL Qaeda is also being very closely watched in Spain, so I doubt that it would have been any help to ETA.

A number of major seizures of Al Qaeda personnel in Spain (mostly involved with financing) have been made by Spanish authorities in the last month or so.

[joan]

The ETA deserve to have their nationalistic aspirations satisfied by the racist, oppressive Spaniards and the international community. The ETA only seek justice. It is in no way terrorism.

Solana was NATO Secretary General when Yugoslavia was bombed because of alleged oppression against ethic Albanians in Kosovo. Perhaps Spain needs to be bombed until the Basques get their own little statelet where they can kill Spaniards with impunity.

[mware]

Fox News reporting three other bombs have been found that did not detonate.

[Rutles4Ever]

Sorry -- this is al Qaeda's work. A 3/11 spectacular...

[mware]

Correction, Fox News via Sky News. Also sketchy reports of looking for 2 men with backpacks who were getting on and off trains.

[mware]

I forgot what todays date was. Interesting.

[Miss Marple]

Thank you for the correction. Someone on Fox left me with that impression.

[Jeff Head]

God rest the souls of the murdered and comfort their loved ones.

Spain has been a major ally in the fight on terror and has been targeted in the past.

Now they have their own terrible day to remember, 311, that will, like 911 to us, be their rally call for exterminating the likes of these people.

I personally believe that the ETA had help with this. Smells of Al Quida involvement to me...but still too soon to tell definitively.

[LS]

An ex-CIA guy was on FOX this a.m. and said that the Basque separatists usually gave a warning and never struck simultaneously like this---that these were characteristics of AQ.

[backhoe]

-Time to kick the tires & light the fires, folks- terrorism gathers across the World...--

[steveegg]

ETA has been trying to pull off an attack like this for a long time, and has only been stopped by vigilant police work. How they finally managed to carry out such a massive attack is going to be a question.

They seem to have gotten a recent influx of cash and arms, and with the only terror-funding group with an interest in Spain being the Islamokazis, I'd put my money on them (I doubt the Columbian drug lords, Cuba and China have much interest in Spain).

ETA trains with all of the other terrorist groups (Islamic groups, IRA, etc.) and they all share the same techniques. It's possible, I suppose, that ETA had help with this one, but AL Qaeda is also being very closely watched in Spain, so I doubt that it would have been any help to ETA.

A number of major seizures of Al Qaeda personnel in Spain (mostly involved with financing) have been made by Spanish authorities in the last month or so.

I don't recall the IRA or FARC using "follow-up" bombs. Also, al-Qaida is an umbrella organization which tends to use a network of smaller organizations to do the dirty work. Morever, with the Spaniards making its progress on the monetary front, that gives Al-Qaida an additional incentive to use the operatives or lose them.

Question; have there been ETA attacks that the group has denied doing initially, or have they claimed responsibility for everything they've done?

[Jeff Head]

I agree. Time will tell, but the MO has AQ written on it. I do not put it past ETA to be the delivery mechanism though. They did try to bomb the trains earlier.

[Jeff Head]

Great link. I responded over on that thread.