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Metropolis Reality Forums Ť Terrorist Attack: 173 dead in Spain ť

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   Terrorist Attack: 173 dead in Spain

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Topic: Terrorist Attack: 173 dead in Spain (Read 166 times)

MzWings
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Terrorist Attack: 173 dead in Spain
« on: Mar 11^th, 2004, 8:11am »

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Updated: 08:39 a.m. EST (13:39 GMT) March 11, 2004

At least 173 killed in Madrid terror attacks!!

At least 173 people have been killed and more than 600 wounded in a series of explosions on Madrid's railway network at the height of this morning's rush hour, rescue services say. There has been no claim of responsibility in the attacks, but Spanish officials are blaming terrorists from the Basque separatist group ETA

Spanish officials are blaming the Basque separatist group ETA for the coordinated attack, which comes ahead of Sunday's general election.

Spanish Interior Minister Angel Acebes said there were a total of 13 explosions at the Santa Eugenia, El Pozo and Atocha stations. He said there was "no doubt" ETA was responsible.

The most deadly blast happened on a train entering Madrid's main Atocha station, Acebes said.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/03/11/spain.blasts/index.html

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avsfanbuck
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Re: Terrorist Attack: 173 dead in Spain
« Reply #1 on: Mar 11^th, 2004, 10:53am »

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Geez

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Rhune
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Re: Terrorist Attack: 173 dead in Spain
« Reply #2 on: Mar 11^th, 2004, 12:21pm »

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This is such a shame...

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Pau
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Re: Terrorist Attack: 173 dead in Spain
« Reply #3 on: Mar 11^th, 2004, 6:40pm »

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yeah... this is very saddening... this morning.. the news says that the Al Qaeda group admitted that they did it...

i wish that this group be taken down... they have been causing international terror.... Sad

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Re: Terrorist Attack: 173 dead in Spain
« Reply #4 on: Mar 14^th, 2004, 9:15am »

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Spaniards go to polls days after bombings
Vote overshadowed by al-Qaida claim of responsibility

Peter Dejong / AP
Voters check their names on posted lists before voting at San Isidro School in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday.

The Associated Press
Updated: 9:38 a.m. ET March 14, 2004

MADRID, Spain - Spaniards voted Sunday in a general election thrown wide open by a reported al-Qaida claim that it staged deadly rail bombings last week to punish the government for supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Still reeling from the bombings, which killed 200 and wounded more than 1,500, voters entered the booths, grim faced and speaking in whispers.

It was the worst attack since the (1936-39) Civil War, Angel Bueno, 51, said in Madrid. We want to know who is responsible for this massacre. It looks as if it was al-Qaida. This shouldnt happen in Spain or the United States.

Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznars government initially blamed the Basque separatist group ETA for the rail attack, even as evidence mounted of an Islamic link and the opposition accused the government of withholding information.

Then on Saturday night Interior Minister Angel Acebes announced the arrests of three Moroccans and two Indians and later disclosed the existence of a videotape in which a man speaking Arabic said Osama bin Ladens al-Qaida terror group claims responsibility for the rail blasts.

Rallies against governing party
Thousands of people rallied overnight against the governing Popular Party, saying it should be thrown out of power for drawing al-Qaidas wrath.

No more cover-ups, read a banner carried by the protesters, who were being watched by riot police.

Popular Party candidate Mariano Rajoy led most polls until last Thursdays bombing. His conservative party had been projected to win the most seats in the 350-member Congress of Deputies, and maybe retain its outright majority.

Twenty people in the Basque city of Bilbao told the Associated Press early Sunday that the bombings would not influence their vote. None would say which party they planned to vote for.

I had already decided, said Maria Sonjuaisti, 42, The attacks confirmed what I already had in mind.

The videotape was recovered from a trash basket near a Madrid mosque, after an Arabic-speaking man called a Madrid TV station to say it was there, Acebes said.

We declare our responsibility for what happened in Madrid, said the man on the video, according to a government translation of the statement delivered in Arabic. It is a response to your collaboration with the criminals Bush and his allies.

The man noted that the bombings came exactly 2 1/2 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.

Spaniards including the main opposition candidate, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of the Socialist party, massively opposed last years U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, which Aznar endorsed. He later sent 1,300 peacekeeping troops.

Blaming Aznar?
Interviews with some of the millions of Spaniards who rallied for peace across the country the day after the bombing showed they felt Aznar provoked the terrorist attack by endorsing the war.

The Socialists pointed to the governments shifting version of events, which first focused blame ETA, but then included Islamic suspects after a van was found in the Madrid suburb where three of the four bombed trains originated. Inside were verses from the Quran, and detonators.

A Basque daily Sunday published a statement by ETA in which the group denied for a second time its involvement in the attacks.

The political campaign was bitter between Rajoy, 48, a veteran Cabinet minister under Aznar, and Zapatero, 43, a lawyer, member of parliament and his partys general-secretary.

Rajoy refused to debate with the Socialist.

Before the attacks, polls gave Rajoys party a 3-5 percentage point lead over the Socialists in the race for the 350-seat Congress of Deputies. In the outgoing legislature, Aznars party had 183 seats.

Aznar did not seek re-election, complying with a pledge he made years ago to not seek a third, four-year term.

Asked how he thought the terrorist attack might sway voters, Rajoy said in an interview published Saturday, I dont know. I hope not at all."

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