Posted on 03/13/2004 5:07:18 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
DUBAI : The purported claim from the Al-Qaeda terror network that it carried out the atrocities in Madrid set the world back on edge as stock markets plunged, nations tightened security and fears of worse to come spread.
Spain's government has named the armed Basque separatist group ETA as prime suspect for the killing of 199 people Thursday when 10 bombs blew up at three Madrid rail stations during morning rush hour, injuring 1,400 more.
US President George W. Bush declared, "We don't know who did this yet," adding "I wouldn't rule anybody out."
But the unverifiable claim of responsibility from an Islamic group linked to Al-Qaeda sent shivers down the spine as Bush offered to put the weight of US intelligence-gathering behind the hunt for the killers.
The statement to London-based newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi from a group claiming to be an Al-Qaeda affiliate raised plenty of scepticism, mainly in the West.
But Al-Qaeda watchers have not been so quick to dismiss it.
With Islamist websites not surprisingly chattering with conviction that the hand of Al-Qaeda had struck terribly once more, Omar Bakri Mohammed, the leader of the radical Islamic group al-Muhajiroun, suggested a closer look at some of the evidence.
The controversial London-based figure, who is suspected of links with Abu Qatada, an alleged Al-Qaeda leader in Europe, urged the Spanish government to realise that the attacks were in response to its military support for the US-led war and occupation in Iraq.
"I'm surprised that the (Spanish) government doesn't take notice that Islamists in the Muslim world and in Europe are really looking at it as a great retaliation against Spain's atrocities in Iraq," Bakri said.
The statement signed "Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades/al-Qaeda" was received by Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper hours after the horror struck.
It "promised three operations, one called 'train of death' in Spain, one called 'black smoke of death in Italy' and one called 'the wind of death in the US'," Bakri said.
"All these operations have been named and I do believe we should take the threat of Al-Qaeda seriously.
"All the websites and the chatrooms of Islamists throughout the Middle East and Europe on the Internet have some type of praise ... for the great victories achieved by Al-Qaeda," in Spain, Bakri added.
"I believe it's a strong message to all the people of Europe that unless you stop your own government's foreign policy ... and withraw your forces from the Muslim lands, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq, you ought to be (ready to face) attack and instability in the whole world."
The Madrid government was also forced to soften accusations against ETA after finding a van containing detonators and an audio tape in Arabic carrying a recitation of Koranic verses.
In Norway, defense researchers have come across documents that could link Al-Qaeda to the train bombings, Norwegian television reported Friday.
Defence Research Establishment staff who have specialized in digging up original Al-Qaeda reports, told the NRK channel they had discovered a document posted on an Arabic website last year outlining Al-Qaeda strategies on how to force Washington and its allies to leave Iraq, and pointing to Spain as the "weakest link".
"It wasn't until yesterday when we were going through old material to find links to Spain that we understood what we were holding in our hands," project leader Brynjar Lia told NRK.
"We mainly had the impression that (the documents) referred to the situation in Iraq, but on closer examination we saw that they specifically refer to Spanish domestic politics and the elections," due Sunday, he added.
One page reads: "We have to make use of the election to the maximum. The government at the most can cope with three attacks."
The document also reportedly predicts that the other partners in the US-led coalition would follow like "pieces of domino" if Spain were to withdraw from Iraq.
Al-Quds editor, Abdul Bari Atwan, who has arguably dealt with as many Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden claims as anyone, says he believes the claim of responsibility is genuine.
"In the past, the same organisation sent us similar letters," he told Sky News. "They claimed responsibility for the attacks against Italian troops in Iraq and also for other attacks in Istanbul against the British consulate. It is the routine of this kind of organisation to send these kind of e-mails."
And, if it really was Al-Qaeda or an off-shoot, warning had been given last October 18.
In an audiotape, the purported voice of bin Laden himself threatened attacks on several countries, including Spain, Australia, Britain, Poland, Japan and Italy.
Seven Spanish intelligence officers died on November 29 in a mortar and grenade attack in Iraq where Madrid has deployed 1,300-troops.
- AFP
I'm surprised it hasn't received more posts.
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.