Bomb attack in Madrid

swiss

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000100&sid=aUMvf4daYULc&refer=germany

This is possibly the largest terror attack in Spain in living memory, to my knowledge. Early estimates show 50 dead and 200 wounded. I can't claim to be an authority on ETA or their struggle for independence, but I can't help but feel that this won't help them.

The report:

March 11 (Bloomberg) -- Three bomb attacks on trains full of morning commuters killed about 50 people in Madrid, Spanish television station TVE reported. Spain's Red Cross said at least 200 people were injured.

Police said it was too early to say whether they suspect ETA, the Basque terrorist group that government and police officials say has been increasing terror attacks in the weeks leading up to Spain's general election on Sunday.

Three bombs went off between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. near three train stations, a National Police spokeswoman said. The stations were El Pozo, Santa Eugenia, and Atocha, which is Madrid's main hub serving southern cities.

``It was horrendous,'' said a woman who was on one train, speaking to government-run TVE television news. ``There was the explosion and then people started to run full of blood.''

Television showed images of dozens of victims with heads or arms bandaged, limping and clinging on to rescue workers. The camera showed one train car ripped in half.

Some of the train cars destroyed were on the line connecting Guadalajara, northeast of Madrid, to the capital city.

An Interior Ministry spokesman made no immediate comment.

ETA, which has killed more than 830 people in its campaign for Basque independence, planned to bomb electricity towers to disrupt the wedding of Spanish Prince Felipe to Letizia Ortiz, a former television news presenter, La Vanguardia reported last week, citing unidentified court officials.

Spanish police averted a bomb attack by ETA, stopping a truck carrying explosives on the way to the capital almost two weeks ago, Agence France-Presse reported, citing Spain's Interior Minister Angel Acebes.

In December Spanish anti-terrorism police arrested people trying to bomb trains on Christmas Eve, they said in December.

shotamoose

Looks horrible. And no, it doesn't seem like the brightest move on the part of ETA, if it was them.

ReefBreak

All trademarks show it was Sinn Féin's best friends in Spain: ETA - the existence of the getaway car is the main reason they're suspected at the moment (rather than Al Qaeda).

Sparks

Death toll is now over 120. The scene is just utter carnage - sections of the train are just gone.

midget lord

terrorists rely on popular sympathy, and im afraid ETA are going to loose any of that they currently have. Same scenario as with the IRA and omagh. Fuppin sick.

SheroN

The real IRA you mean surely?

Has it been confirmed ETA did it?

midget lord

The "I cant believe its not the IRA", whatever.

ReefBreak

Apparently they've found the getaway car, which bears the hallmarks of an ETA attack, i.e. like the RIRA or the IRA they ran away like the cowardly scum that they are.

pork99

it doesn't seem like the brightest move on the part of ETA, if it was them.

<revolutionarylogic>
Nonsense! A glorious blow for Basque Freedom! To hell with trains, commuters, cities, anyone with a third level education and anyone who wears glasses (glasses = probably a reader).
</revolutionarylogic>


Seriously though ones blood runs cold at thoughts of how "people" like ETA would behave if they achieved their aims and gained control over the Basque lands (this will never happen as they have almost no support among Basques). People who will do things like this are certainly not democrats. If victorious their next victims would be any Basque people who disagreed with being ruled by murderous criminals. (See Pol Pot, Mao Tse Tung etc)

SheroN

In fairness I don't condone what the IRA or real-IRA did in the past, but it's a little different. The IRA always gave warnings to the best of my knowledge?

midget lord

Ah i see, fair play to them.

ReefBreak

Originally posted by SheroN
In fairness I don't condone what the IRA or real-IRA did in the past, but it's a little different. The IRA always gave warnings to the best of my knowledge?

Well, you're wrong. They didn't give warnings for the Birmingham pub bombs, or Enniskillen, or La Mon, and hundreds more. In fact, ETA base themselves on the IRA terrorist model.

SheroN

I see. Anyway I think we should keep this about the topic at hand and not bring the (R)IRA into it.

yellum

Originally posted by SheroN
The IRA always gave warnings to the best of my knowledge?

Not always no.

Looks like this was done as the general election is on its way. I doubt this is going to do anything for their "cause".

ReefBreak

Considering ETA have received support (money and training) from the IRA in the past, plus the fact that the IRA call themselves Irish, for these reasons I think we should be mentioning it.

SheroN

Death toll has risen to 130+

Mighty_Mouse

FFS Reefbreak you really will twist every negative piece of information you can get your hands on; to be about the IRA. !:rolleyes:

The fact that you have said more about the IRA than ETA/ Basque struggle for independance is lunacy.

Its a tradegy that so many people died.

The "I cant believe its not the IRA", whatever.

If your gonna argue against the IRA, you should probably get your facts straight! The Real IRA bombed Omagh.

You wuldnt want to look like a moron who's opinion is pure drivel, would you.

At least Reefbreak hints at a little knowledge on the subject sometimes:D

star gazer

Disgusting piece of savegry. Slaughtering commuters is going to turn everyone against them, their support will quickly rescind into the wilderness.

ReefBreak

Actually, I was only putting an Irish perspective on it, because we know as a fact that there is long historical connection between the IRA and ETA.
Have the IRA supplied bomb-making technology to ETA?
Have the IRA supplied training to ETA?
And if they have, then those Irish people that support the IRA are in some way complicit in the tragedy.

MojoMaker

I wonder is it merely a coincidence that Spain was/is George Bush's closest ally in Europe after Tony Blair? Was it only a matter of time before a serious strike was made in Spain using the conduit of an existing local terrorist group?

ETA *may* have executed this, but who planned it? Tis far bigger than anything ETA have even undertaken before and the nature of the multiple coordinated attacks could be a finger in the face of the pro-American establishment as much as anything to do with Basque freedom.

ambasite

pure evil. dark age. that these groups are still willing to slaughter innocent people for outdated nationalistic notions is bizarre, assuming that it was ETA.

ReefBreak

The Spanish govt are blaming ETA, but according to Yahoo:

But the leader of the banned Basque separatist party Batasuna blamed "Arab resistance" instead. Arnaldo Otegi said he "refused to believe" Eta was responsible.

So the leader is either lying, doesn't know, or it could be Arab terrorists are responsible. Incidentally I find it sickening that he uses the term "Arab resistance".

TwoShedsJackson

Seems unlikely that ETA would do this as the death toll would be totally counter-productive. They normally concentrate on one-off hits against Government councillors and the likes.

kiffer

I just had a spanish girl leave the call shop crying ... I wonder why.
I have a lot of worried looking spanish people coming in ...
some are leaving looking ok... some are not.

Zombrex

Originally posted by ReefBreak
The Spanish govt are blaming ETA, but according to Yahoo:
So the leader is either lying, doesn't know, or it could be Arab terrorists are responsible. Incidentally I find it sickening that he uses the term "Arab resistance".

I would say it is possible that something went wrong and now they are trying to distance themselves from such a huge death toll, like the R-IRA did with Omagh when they started blaming the police for not listening to their "warnings".

pork99

Originally posted by MojoMaker
ETA *may* have executed this, but who planned it? Tis far bigger than anything ETA have even undertaken before and the nature of the multiple coordinated attacks could be a finger in the face of the pro-American establishment as much as anything to do with Basque freedom.

Perhaps theres a really sinister possibility that ETA have formed some sort of "strategic alliance" with al Qaeda? (possible but improbable)

However I think we may be indulging in Sky News style wild speculation in the absence of hard facts. An expert on ETA, Paddy Woodworth, was on that channel about 1/2 an hour ago and he was saying that the scale of the operation is far beyond anything ETA have done before and also does not conform to their previous operating procedures with lack of any warning.

Let's wait and see.

ReefBreak

Spanish police managed to foil an attack on a train line earlier in the month. Also, a suspected getaway car exploded this morning when approached by the polive (a common ETA technique).

Obviously, the fact that there was no warning, plus the scale of the attack could mean it is the work of Arab terrorists. We'll find out soon enough.

GuanYin

ETA have denied it apparently, there is growing opinion that Arab resistance may be involved.

death toll at 173 with 500 injured. apparently there was a 4th attack, but not confirmed.

pdh

Its very sad that this has happened, however if it does turn out that ETA were responsible, then I can’t help thinking that the PP government also share some blame.
The PP government have spent that last few years involved in widespread repression against Basque society and refusing to get involved in any form of dialogue with the Basque Independence movement. As far as I know the Spanish government even brought in a law that gives a 5 year jail sentence to anyone who advocates Basque independence in a peaceful manner !!!!

ReefBreak

Originally posted by pdh
Its very sad that this has happened, however if it does turn out that ETA were responsible, then I can’t help thinking that the PP government also share some blame.
The PP government have spent that last few years involved in widespread repression against Basque society and refusing to get involved in any form of dialogue with the Basque Independence movement. As far as I know the Spanish government even brought in a law that gives a 5 year jail sentence to anyone who advocates Basque independence in a peaceful manner !!!!

You're wrong. There are mainstream parties in the Basque country who aim for independence (like the SDLP in the North) in a peaceful manner. They did ban the political wing of ETA - the Batasuna party - a couple of years ago.

As for your guff about the Spanish govt: typical pro-terrorist rhetoric, try and spread the blame around, on anyone other than the terrorists themselves. By the way, there has been no "widespread repression" against Basque society (other than the repression dreamed up by Marxist pro-ETA members), unless you count putting ETA members behind bars, which is of course, a good thing.

Mighty_Mouse

Jeez! Reefbreak you are extreme. To claim that ther has been no repression of the Basque. :eek: