[Nico]

Madrid, this morning, the main railroad station and 3 other trains at other places of the city have been hit.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_888345.html?menu=news

There was 4 bombs, and the death toll is now of 173.
The ETA denies being responsible for those attacks.

[Setekh]

Ouch. Madrid, Madrid...

I hope justice will be served.

[Zuljin]

if it was the ETA I doubt they would deny it, since that wouldn't really serve their purpose...

but horrible just doesn't fit to describe this.
I hope that whoever was responsible for this will be brought to justice.

[J3Vr6]

I saw this on the news this morning, something about Basque seperationist?

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Zuljin
if it was the ETA I doubt they would deny it, since that wouldn't really serve their purpose...

but horrible just doesn't fit to describe this.
I hope that whoever was responsible for this will be brought to justice.

The only thing is that this sort of attack is a massive step up from ETA's usual tactics.... I think last year the total count of deaths from ETA terrorism was (!) 3.  ETA tends to focus more on disruptive attacks (i.e. on tourist areas, but with coded warnings), and assasinations IIRC.... certainly nothing I can remember in the last few years that has been targeted at killing as many as possible.  

So a lot of people have been suggesting that Al-queda has some form of involvement, either with or without the assistance of ETA.  Certainly it bears their hallmarks - i.e. precisely timed multiple attacks intended to kill - murder - as many as possible.  And al-queda has threated US allies before, and in particular in relation to the Iraq war (having already attacked the British embasy and bank in Istanbul).

Either way, it's worrying.  Lets hope they get the ****ers responsible.

EDIT;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3500452.stm

[Zuljin]

Originally posted by aldo_14


The only thing is that this sort of attack is a massive step up from ETA's usual tactics.... I think last year the total count of deaths from ETA terrorism was (!) 3.  ETA tends to focus more on disruptive attacks (i.e. on tourist areas, but with coded warnings), and assasinations IIRC.... certainly nothing I can remember in the last few years that has been targeted at killing as many as possible.  

So a lot of people have been suggesting that Al-queda has some form of involvement, either with or without the assistance of ETA.  Certainly it bears their hallmarks - i.e. precisely timed multiple attacks intended to kill - murder - as many as possible.  And al-queda has threated US allies before, and in particular in relation to the Iraq war (having already attacked the British embasy and bank in Istanbul).

Either way, it's worrying.  Lets hope they get the ****ers responsible.

EDIT;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3500452.stm

aye, thats precicely the thing, the spanish government blames the ETA.
But this kind of thing, is just not their style.
Not in a public train, which would kill as many people as possible.
And as you said, it does bear the hallmarks of Al-queda, wheter it actually IS them remains to be seen though.
Someone will probably take the blame during the next days or so...
And with luck, they will be caught

[Gank]

Been a bit of tension between Spain and Morroco in the last couple of year iirc.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Gank
Been a bit of tension between Spain and Morroco in the last couple of year iirc.

Over a pissy wee island, natch.

NB:  More stuff on speculation over the perpetrators.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3500452.stm

[Gank]

Aye, though I think its more over the fact that Spain occupies two northern Moroccan towns Sebta and Melillia. That and the war on Iraq and Islamic terrorists would seem to be the most logical culprits. Spain seems fairly sure its Eta though.

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Gank
Aye, though I think its more over the fact that Spain occupies two northern Moroccan towns Sebta and Melillia.

And then has the cheek to turn around and complain at Britain over Gibraltar.

Anyway I think a lot of people are jumping the gun over this one. Lets find out for certain who it was first. ETA have been getting somewhat more militant of late so it could be them but as others have said it is a departure from their usual style.

[TopAce]

This is really a massacre. 173 dead and in addition 600 others wounded?

[Gloriano]

so terriple

[diamondgeezer]

Ouch

[Gortef]

indeed... double ouch

[TopAce]

What makes you think: Why terrorists never attempt to attack military targets?

[diamondgeezer]

The IRA has been known to bomb British army barracks, IIRC. On the whole, though, a terrorist is going for a soft target which will cause terror amongst the population of his target governement

[Janos]

I seem to recall that ETA holds little support among the basques, who were quite happy with their autonomy until ETA started to mess things up and Spanish goverment hardened their grip on Basque Land. But how separated "ETA" is, i say, are there many subgroups inside it or is ETA just another umbrella organization á la Al Quaeda?
If performed by ETA, such a terror strike could backfire on Spanish goverment quite badly. If they harden their grip on the regime, the population propably starts to support more aggressive means to get rid of "too much goverment control".

But this seems to be not ETAish type of strike. Normally they have attacked against political and juristical targets, like judges, police officers and politicians. Attacking this large amount of civilians looks quite weird IMHO.

Oh, and the first one to say "**** THEY'RE ALL TERRISTS NUKE EM TO HELL" will face the wrath of animated .gifs [not derail].

[SnakeEyes]

Inportant facts:

1 - ETA practically always strikes military and government units (Though one of the worst strikes was in 1986 (I think) in Hipercor shopping center Barcelona with more than a dozen of deaths) It's the place I go shopping twice a week.

2 - ETA has always given phone calls before the strikes (That is a true fact) though the toll of civil victims is always high although they claim tactical objectives. (IE - Hipercor Barcelona)

3 - ETA hasn't claimed officially YET being the responsible group for those attacks (And they always do). The government is specially interested in blaming ETA because of the increasing number of people against the intervention in IRAK.

That means that if AL-Qaeda is responsible of this, there could be a very inportant movement against the actual government (though elections on Sunday) for involving Spain into dangerous political decisions that threat population safety.

Since we don't know who has done this still....... many things could still happen.
There's not easy judgement in all this, it's too difficult.

[karajorma]

Considering that Spanish police recently arrested two ETA members with 500kg of exposive I'm leaning towards thinking this is their work.

You don't use 500kg of explosive to make a bomb and then telephone  the police to tell them about it. You could make the point just as easily with 1/10th the amount.

[SnakeEyes]

Yes you're right.
Anyway I just wanted to point the fact of a difference in the usual behaviour and the possibility that there could be other options.

It is also true that due to recent events with Catalan politicians, ETA is really interested in destabilizing the elections but with no clear motive.