[nickcarraway]

Britain significantly declared it to be "an assault on the very principle of European democracy".

Will the rest of Europe dismiss it as ``Spain's Problem.''

[Betaille]

This smells like Al-Quaeda. ETA has denied responsibility(they don't do that when they do it), and I don't think ETA has ever tried for such mass death.

[Yo-Yo]

Only problem is that this is 11/3 to them, not 3/11. One of my European friends once jokingly asked what it was that had Americans so fixated on November 9th.

[KellyAdmirer]

John Kerry's response would be to serve the terrorists with legal papers.

[DoctorMichael]

Wasn't France's railway system supposedly targeted a week or so ago?

If this IS AQ and NOT Basque Separatists then maybe the target was changed?

[Mike Darancette]

Probably not ETA since publicity is aim of domestic terror and their record is to never deny their work. OTOH: Al'Queda never admits.

[sam_paine]

When the ETA realized how much damage they had actually pulled off, no doubt they would back away from it knowing how deleterious this would be for their Public Relations. Blame it on Al Qaeda, no problem!

[quidnunc]

I just heard the Spanish ambassador on FOX and he insisted that this was the work of ETA, the Basque separatist terrorists.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[browsin]

And if so, is Britain, America’s closest ally in the war on terror, next?

Americans,Israelis,Australians and now Spaniards have all been directly targeted on a large scale by terrorists.Out of the major six anti-terrorist/coalition/pro-democracy nations that leaves only Britain and Poland.Time for extreme vigilance on the part of both nations.

[Starve The Beast]

...that 13 bombs were meant to go off together ...

Just a speculation, but this really does smell like al Queada (and that's a smell to put you off your lunch, let me tell you).

al Queada likes to pull off multiple attacks simultaneously. They seem to think it's impressive that their suicide bombers can tell time, so you always get a bunch of attacks together, which it looks like this may have been. Also, this attack was very clearly intended to cause the maximize human casualties, another hallmark if Islamic terrorists.

[sharktrager]

The whole point of terrorism is to get credit for the purpose of advancing your agenda. The unspoken promise is that the terrorists will stop when they get what they want.

If the ETA says it wasn't them, I would say you have to take them at their word.

[pittsburgh gop guy]

WE STAND WITH SPAIN!

In this hour of trouble, may they be comforted to know that the United States of America is with them and will assist in tracking down the evil-doers.

"Spain supports, has supported, and will support all the United States' efforts to track down, to eradicate and to eliminate terrorism wherever it may be worldwide. We intend to maintain and, if necessary, strengthen our political commitment, our cooperation in the area of intelligence and security and information-sharing, and, if need be, to commit military forces to that battle."

Comments by President Aznar of Spain on November 28, 2001. Spain (a member of New Europe) has been a great ally in the War on Terror.

I hope President Bush goes over in the next couple of days, and offers our personal sympathy and support.

[FoxInSocks]

world's most feared, faceless and fabulously inventive Islamist terrorist group

Let's pile on some more praise.

[David Hunter]

The Basque blame for "Arabs" blew a chill wind threw European chancelleries. But, some leading British security analysts said there was a risk of terrorist groups using al-Qaeda and Islamist resistance as a fig leaf for their actions.

Hmm, surely the whole idea of organised terrorism is to take responsibility for the atrocity, so that people know WHY it was carried out. If its blamed on someone else then the reason it was carried out becomes completely irrelevant. Unless the terrorists are trying to kill as many soldiers as possible without incurring any retaliation, but that would be quite different to killing hundreds of unarmed civilians in a capital city.

[olde north church]

The legacy of Islamic occupation of Spain would give linkage for al-Qaeda.
Of course it's related. I think it also shows a sort of hesitance to attack France. Especially after the headscarf ban.
I was making the same connections as the author of this article. I think I have found my way back home!

[electroclash]

See what happens when you don't ratify the Kyoto Treaty? These Basque Terrorists are just poor people that can't find the right outlet for political expression.

[BlueNgold]

Gee, Al Qaeda NEVER attacks transportation and/or infrastructure, so it couldn't be them ...

[/sarcasm]

[Mamzelle]

It is the eleventh--oh, my--

[traumer]

you meant "SPAIN'S 9/11... "