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Thu 11 Mar, 2004 02:54 pm
The Spanish equivalent of September 11th and very possibly with perpetrators from the same source - around 200 dead and 1,200 injured.
How incredibly helpful it was of them to leave a stolen truck to be discovered by Spanish police, complete with detonators and a tape containing Arab verses. Anyone recall the car found outside the airport containing similar proof of Arab involvement immediately after September 11th?
Already, we are being spoon-fed with suggested international links between terrorist groups. Yet neither of those accused could hope to gain from this evil tragedy.
As should have happened after 9/11 and unlike the media and Spanish Government today, the wisest of inquisitors might seek the potential beneficiaries of this latest atrocity, before apportioning guilt.
Quite apart from ETTA and Al Kaeda, the only major alternative suspect with much to gain politically and electorally from further acts of international terrorism should not be ignored.
Right. I'll call the FBI and put them on your trail.
Why would a group commit an act of terror (inorder to make a statement, I presume) and then not want to take credit for it, by blaming someone else? I've always wanted to know that
I believe that it may have been a rogue Basque group. ETA is famous for 'calling in' warnings of their actions immediately preceding most of their bombings.
This neither excuses or mitigates the vile baseness of the people who perpetrated this action.
I don't belive that it was Arab or Muslim terrorists that did this, my money is on a splinter Basque group that just wanted to throw blame on others to keep authorities looking in the wrong direction.
Keep 'em guessing, I guess.
I never thought ETA would take it to THIS level.
Then again, when I was over there, they had kidnapped some famous persons son, held him hostage for a few days, and shot the poor kid dead.
An absolute travesty, no matter who did it. Hopefully, they'll be on the case and rounding up a few baddies before long. My heart goes out to the people of that beautiful country.
On NPR's Talk of the Nation this afternoon, they spoke to the assistant editor of a major Madrid daily (La Pais?--i don't do Spanish), who stated that a van has been found near the area where the explosives were placed on the trains, and that the van contained detonators, and a cassette tape with verses of the Quran. Evidence, or red herring?
Setanta wrote:On NPR's Talk of the Nation this afternoon, they spoke to the assistant editor of a major Madrid daily (La Pais?--i don't do Spanish), who stated that a van has been found near the area where the explosives were placed on the trains, and that the van contained detonators, and a cassette tape with verses of the Quran. Evidence, or red herring?
It may sound wacky but I still think it's a splinter group that wants to spread the blame around and cause the Spanish authorities to crack down on ETA and all other groups while they remain quietly hidden and the other groups are weakened.
This sort of thing used to happen a LOT in northern Ireland. One faction, unhappy with the action/lack of action of the primary group, throws blame for a bombing/assassination on another group so that it may come to the fore.
Just my 2 cents (pre tax)
Setanta wrote:On NPR's Talk of the Nation this afternoon, they spoke to the assistant editor of a major Madrid daily (La Pais?--i don't do Spanish), who stated that a van has been found near the area where the explosives were placed on the trains, and that the van contained detonators, and a cassette tape with verses of the Quran. Evidence, or red herring?
After years of reading thrillers (Charlie Muffin in particular comes to mind) My first thought was : "hmmm...I wonder who did this, The CIA or MI 6?"
In fact, TotN spoke to a terrorism expert from Jane's, who made exactly the same parallel with the Provos--that both ETA and the Provisional IRA have displayed amazing resilience, and have survived through "cell" structure. You may be right, I may be crazy, but it just may be a lunatic you're lookin' for . . .
Ooops . . . sorry, sometimes the music just carries me away . . .
When the bomb thats in the dressing room,
Blows the windows from the stage,
And the prompter in his corner ,
Is sorry that he came...
Dreadful news from Madrid. I concede that I'm not totally cognizant of the Basque movement. One of my employees -now 21-was raised in Belgium until he was 16 or so. His initial reaction was this didn't seem to fit the pattern.
The notion of a splinter group, I guess, makes some sense. But the planting of the Koran?
Does Spain contribute to the Iraq effort with troops?
If so, I think that is where the motive will be found.
My VISA card is offering a free trip for two to the Olympics in Athens this summer. Um, no thanks.
realjohnboy wrote:
Does Spain contribute to the Iraq effort with troops?
If so, I think that is where the motive will be found.
Spain does have approximately 1300 troops in Iraq. I still think the Arab/Muslim community is being used as a scapegoat.
Awww...any red blooded 'murrcan knows them towely heads is evil! Why, they don't even like football! We gotsta go kick us some more ayrab ass....just liek we did to eye-rack after they done killed 35000 'murrcans on september the ee-leventh!
John Webb
Electoral ploy?
Perhaps the bombers also
Wear tinfoil headgear.
hobitbob wrote:Awww...any red blooded 'murrcan knows them towely heads is evil! Why, they don't even like football! We gotsta go kick us some more ayrab ass....just liek we did to eye-rack after they done killed 35000 'murrcans on september the ee-leventh!
Another usless post from Hobitbob...
Jsut imitating you, old boy!
So did Bush have anything to say about it yet?
Setanta wrote:In fact, TotN spoke to a terrorism expert from Jane's, who made exactly the same parallel with the Provos--that both ETA and the Provisional IRA have displayed amazing resilience, and have survived through "cell" structure.
The Jane's expert also made the point that ETA has been under intensive pressure on both the domestic and international front. Many of its supporters ie infrastructure, both in Spain and in South America have been arrested and the Spanish police have been increasingly successful at interrupting their planned strikes. I got the impression he felt this would have been a difficult operation for ETA to pull off given its present state.
Just about every comment, interview or article I have seen or heard today has said that this attack is out of character for ETA. This kind of an attack takes planning and coordination and it has the hall marks of an al Qeada opperation. al Qeada has been talking big lately and they needed to make good on their talk. Spain was probably the softest target in Europe available to them.
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