On March 11, 2004, starting at 7:39 AM, 10 backpack bombs exploded in a 15-minute span, on trains along nine miles of commuter line from Santa Eugenia to the Atocha terminal in Madrid, Spain. 201 have died so far from the terrorist attack and there are more than 1400 wounded.
Though the ETA (Euzkadi Ta Askatasuna – Basque Fatherland and Liberty) was an initial suspect of the attack, now it seems like the al Qaeda is the group responsible. In the past, ETA had given warnings before attacks and had targeted symbols of Spanish power and not targeted the public.
There are many reason why al Qaeda is the leading suspect:
– It was exactly 911 days after the WTC attack.
– The scale of the attack dwarfs anything that ETA has done in the past.
– Last year, Spain sent more than 1,000 troops to Iraq in support of the US attack on Iraq.
– The most significant al Qaeda cells are in Spain.
– Police found a stolen van with seven detonators and the Arabic-language tape of the Koran near where the trains originated.
Links:
Yahoo Full Coverage
Was it ETA or Al Qaeda?
911 days after 9/11
Al Qaeda has had a long presence in Spain
Suspicion falls on Al Qaeda
Death Toll in Spain Bombings Nears 200
Madrid blasts: Who is to blame?
Madrid atrocities: Islamic fundamentalists or Eta – who did it?
Madrid blasts don’t bear ETA hallmarks – founder
Doubt over al Qaeda claim