200 killed in Spanish bombing - arrests made (MERGED)

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Nadia_H: *
i honestly have NO assumptions on who committed this although i was initially leaning towards ETA. i am no fan of wild-left loony conspiracy theories. i just have to say, however, if i may - if it IS al Qaeda, or some rogue Muslim terrorist group, they are damn stupid for leaving these convenient Quranic verses in the trunk of their vehicles. Somehow or the other, they mastermind these technologically-sophisticated explosions in large cosmopolitan cities, coordinate these activities so precisely, yet somehow they are stupid enough to leave Arabic language manuals, copies of the Quran, how-to-blow-up-a-building instructions in Arabic, all over their belongings. What's next - why not plaster a neon sign on your forehead saying "It's me, the token Muslim guy, who planted the explosion".

Why do they conveniently carry these Arabic language tapes, or copies of the Quran, around with them ? One answer is that they are incredibly stupid which i find rather challenging to digest because some degree of intelligence is surely required to plan these atrocities.
[/QUOTE]

Nadia

are they trying to hide their identities? before the operation yes, but after they have accompished their goals, what terrorist group wants people to be confused about who actually launched the attack?

This is not a burgularly or a theft where the suspects do nto want to leave any trace of who they were.

Logically speaking, whether police finds objects that connect the action to a specific terrorist group, or whether police does not find anything but the group later claims responsibility..in both cases you find out which group carried out the attacks.

Additionally, when you speak of masterminds who plan these attacks and plan the logistics, they are usually not the one carrying out the attacks I would think, but using people who are foot soldiers and thus not really "masterminds" to carry out the deed.

Is it possible its ETA, sure, is it possible it OBL & co, sure, is it possible they are in cahoots, sure.

lets see what comes out

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Pakora: *
Its very sad to see people pointing at once at Al qaeda , CNN , Sky , and BBC are parroting again and again, I quote “ It could be MUSLIM militants or Basque Separatist party , so when it comes to Christians , it’s a separatist party but when it comes to Muslims it is MUSLIM Terrorists.

[/QUOTE]

well basque separatists have not made religion as their issue, and that is why they are not considered "christian extremists". I do not recall any statements by ETA with religious tint to it.

A better example would be the Norther Ireland, where those terrorists are Separatists, but not catholic terrorists, because the basis of the struggle is religious in nature, although land dispute is the major point of contention.

OBL his cronies, fans etc for some odd reason believe they are on a religious mandate. and thus get called muslim extremists.

heck I would be more than happy with he was called a damn saudi terrorist, and it be done and over with.

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now they are saying some arab materials were found in a van, oh $hit, here we go again.

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Al-Qaida letter calls Madrid attacks Operation Death Trains; says `we succeeded in infiltrating heart of crusader Europe

The London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Quds
al-Arabi said Thursday it had received a claim
of responsibility issued by The Brigade of Abu
Hafs al-Masri in the name of Al-Qaida for the
Madrid terrorist attacks that killed at least 190
people and wounded 1,247.

The claim received by email at the paper’s
London offices said the brigade’s “death squad”
had penetrated “one of the pillars of the
crusade alliance, Spain.”

“This is part of settling old accounts with
Spain, the crusader, and America’s ally in its
war against Islam,” the claim said.

Referring to Spain’s Prime Minister Jose
Maria Aznar, the statement asked: “Aznar,
where is America? Who will protect you,
Britain, Japan, Italy and others from us?”

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E-Mail Says Al Qaeda Behind Spain Blasts

Thursday, March 11, 2004

CAIRO, Egypt — The Arabic newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi (search) said Thursday it had received a claim of responsibility for the Madrid train bombings issued in the name of Al Qaeda (search).

The five-page e-mail claim, signed by the shadowy Brigade of Abu Hafs al-Masri (search), was received at the paper’s London offices. It said the brigade’s “death squad” had penetrated “one of the pillars of the crusade alliance, Spain.”

“This is part of settling old accounts with Spain, the crusader, and America’s ally in its war against Islam,” the claim said.

Referring to Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar (search), the statement asked: “Aznar, where is America? Who will protect you, Britain, Japan, Italy and others from us?”

The newspaper faxed the claim to The Associated Press office in Cairo.

The message referred to last year’s attack on Italian paramilitary police serving in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

“When we attacked the Italian troops in Nassiriyah and sent you and America’s agents an ultimatum to withdraw from the anti-Islam alliance, you did not understand the message. Now we have made it clear and hope that this time you will understand,” the statement said.

“We, at the Abu Hafs brigades, have not felt sad for the so-called civilians,” the statement in an apparent reference to the hundreds of casualties in Thursday’s attacks in Madrid.

“Is it OK for you to kill our children, women, old people and youth in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and Kashmir? And is it forbidden to us to kill yours?” the claim asked.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,113972,00.html

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911 days between September 11 2001 and March 11 2004.

leap year...912 days

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Spain Blast

What do you believe, is AlQaida behind those attacks ?

I can't believe that whatever sh*t happens that Muslims are behind it or is this a secret war against islamic nations.

If ETA did this, why would they say that they did? Can't they make it look like an islamic terrorist attack. Why would AlQaida do such a thing to the normal spanish working class, it doesnt make sense to me, why don't they go and blast the policies makers and leave the normal class alone??

But if they do say that muslims are the ones who did this then, we are in for some good times, I mean it seems like we are stamped as terrorist and even if you are against all this terror.

28

Spain helped American in Iraq and an active member in tracking down terrorists. Al Q threatened Spain last year.

29

But we also know that ETA is threatening Spain for the last 30 years, so to say that AlQaida did threatened Spain, maybe a reality but my mind tells me that they were not the ones who are behind those blasts, it doesnt make sense to be so so organised that nobody even sensed that something is going to happen. To be so well organised, you have to be living there for years and years and I dont believe that AlQaida is so much organised, not anymore I think.

30

Why is the news of connections of this bombing coming from such luminaries of journalism as Fox news, Sky news (Fox subsidiary) and Haaretz daily? Don't others have anything to say about this?

31

Seems like it is the handy work of Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA), an armed independence organisation and the timing, just before general elections, makes the possibility even stronger… but of course if a link is not found and the govt. has to move on then blame it on “Al-Qaeda” can’t go wrong there :fraudia:

32

ETA, is fighting for an independent country of their own, which has not been granted to them from Spain.

Their terror is going on for 30 years and they have killed 800 spanish people till yet, today being the biggest blast in the history.

Maybe, its time for Europe to think of their policy, blaming AlQaida is easy but will it solve their problems? probably not.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by mufakkar: *
Why is the news of connections of this bombing coming from such luminaries of journalism as Fox news, Sky news (Fox subsidiary) and Haaretz daily? Don't others have anything to say about this?
[/QUOTE]

The Spanish interior minister earlier told the media ETA had attempted a similar attack by placing bombs in trains last Christmas.

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I think spainsh authorities were saying ETA earlier, but just read that there is some unconfirmed admission of this action by al kayda.

35

Muffakar old man,

Perhaps Al-Jazeera is good enough for you! Or is that a Fox subsidiary too?

‘Al-Qaida letter’ claims Spain bombings

Friday 12 March 2004, 0:20 Makka Time, 21:20 GMT

At least 190 people died in the blasts

A letter purporting to come from al-Qaida has claimed responsibility for the train bombings in Madrid that killed at least 190 even as Spain said a suspect van found near the scene contained detonators and an Arabic tape.

A statement on Thursday attributed to al-Qaida and sent to the London-based daily al-Quds al-Arabi claimed responsibility for the Madrid bombings and a suicide attack on a Masonic lodge in Istanbul two days earlier.

The statement bore the signature “Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades”, which is part of the al-Qaida network.

Earlier, Spain’s interior minister said a suspect van found near the scene of bombings contained seven detonators and a tape in Arabic.

Interior Minister Angel Acebes said the tape had recordings of verses from the Quran.

He said the Quranic verses were those “usually used to teach the Quran”.

Stolen

The van had been stolen from the southern town of Alcala de Henares, which was the point of origin for the four trains targeted in the bomb attacks, Acebes said.

The attack is the worst to hit Europe since the 1988 bombing of a US airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270.

A United States official in Washington said, “There are characteristics of both ETA and al-Qaida-type of activity in this attack”. “So it’s hard to know at this early stage who is responsible.”

“When you have multiple attacks, close together, it’s a hallmark of al-Qaida, and ETA is known to have targeted trains, and places where tourists would gather,” the official said.

“When you have multiple attacks, close together, it’s a hallmark of al-Qaida, and ETA is known to have targeted trains, and places where tourists would gather”

Unnamed US official

“At this point (we’re) not ruling anything out, not ruling
anything in,” the US official said.

Earlier, the founder of ETA said the blasts did not bear the Basque separatist group’s hallmarks.

Julen de Madariaga, who created ETA in the 1950s and was once its leader, said it would be unlike the group to attack busy, working-class areas. Thursday’s blasts ripped through packed commuter trains at three stations in Madrid.

“It’s not ETA’s method of working,” Madariaga told French television station LCI from the Basque city of San Sebastian.

Since leading ETA, Madariaga has turned his back on violence although he has been active in pushing for a political solution to the Basque question.

The director of the European police organisation Europol too cast doubts on Spanish government claims that Basque separatist group ETA carried out the deadly Madrid bomb attacks.

The bombings “don’t correspond to the modus operandi which ETA adopted up to now,” Juergen Storbeck told reporters on Thursday during a visit to the Italian capital Rome.

AFP

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by mufakkar: *
Why is the news of connections of this bombing coming from such luminaries of journalism as Fox news, Sky news (Fox subsidiary) and Haaretz daily? Don't others have anything to say about this?
[/QUOTE]

Haaretz daily is a high quality source for news friend. Yhey just beat others to the punch, everyone has picked up the story.

38

Yeah.. as always Al Qaida has left Arabic manuals in a van. The dumb terrorists need manuals till the last minute. How typical :nook:

39

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Madhanee: *
If al-Qaeda is really behind it, then they are doing a real royal job for Muslims living in the western countries. You don’t need more LePens or Hieders.
[/QUOTE]

If behind those attacks, you think they really care about the Muslims living in western countries or their feelings.

40

just heard a letter has been sent by Al Qaeida to an arabic newspaper in England claiming responsibility