Is Europe's 3/11 America's 9/11? (Must Read)

The Times of India ^ | THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2004 | RASHMEE Z. AHMED

[nickcarraway]

LONDON: As four powerful bombs bloodied the Spanish capital Madrid killing 173, in Europe’s deadliest act of terror after the Lockerbie bombings, major European capitals have begun to wonder if 3/11 - the 11th day of the third month – is meant to be the Old World’s 9/11?

As news filtered in that 13 bombs were meant to go off together in one of Europe’s most historic and vibrant capitals, Britain significantly declared it to be "an assault on the very principle of European democracy".

Spain goes to the polls on Sunday.

Some of Europe’s leading terrorism experts agreed the bombs ahead of ballots could be as significant an assault on Western democracy as 9/11's crumbling twin towers attacked the symbol of Western capitalism.

So could it have been al-Qaeda, hooking up for the very first time with a largely secular European nationalist grouping?

Could the world’s most feared, faceless and fabulously inventive Islamist terrorist group really be wreaking revenge for Spain's controversial participation in the US-led, UK-backed militaristic coalition against terror?

And if so, is Britain, America’s closest ally in the war on terror, next?

Officially, Spain does not think it is al-Qaeda. With European capitals shuddering at the thought that al-Qaeda might have left its calling card right at the heart of Europe, Spain’s interior minister Angel Acebes blamed the homegrown ETA. ETA is fighting a violent separatist campaign to free the Basque region.

But in a deepening mystery, a leader of ETA’s banned political wing, Herri Batasuna, said "Arab resistance", not ETA, was not to blame.

The denial, said ETA expert Professor Paul Heywood, was unusual. ETA has nearly always claimed responsibility in 35 years of attacks, which claimed 800 lives altogether. If ETA were proved to have pulled off the Madrid spectacular, it would be assured undreamt-of publicity.

The Basque blame for "Arabs" blew a chill wind threw European chancelleries. But, some leading British security analysts said there was a risk of terrorist groups using al-Qaeda and Islamist resistance as a fig leaf for their actions.

Even so, some of the world’s leading experts on ETA admitted they are puzzled by the unprecedented scale of the attacks.

The modus operandi too, with unannounced coordinated multiple blasts perfectly timed for the rush hour and maximum human suffering were unusual, said a leading authority on ETA, Paddy Woodworth in Dublin.

With worrying candour, Professor Paul Wilkinson, a leading terrorism expert at St Andrews University, said al-Qaeda's handiwork or not, the attacks may underline the al-Qaeda effect on global terrorism.

"Terrorist groups learn from each other", he said.

Late on Thursday, Tony Blair said the attacks underlined the worldwide terrorist threat. The president of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, said it was "a declaration of war on democracy".

Spain’s wannabe prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, who heads the governing Popular Party, said it was a "massive assassination which has plunged democracy into mourning".

[nickcarraway]

Britain significantly declared it to be "an assault on the very principle of European democracy".

Will the rest of Europe dismiss it as ``Spain's Problem.''

[VRWCmember]

John Kerry says the threat of terrorism is overblown.

[carton253]

Is this Islamic Fundamentalism, or is it the Basques? Has anyone heard?

[Betaille]

This smells like Al-Quaeda. ETA has denied responsibility(they don't do that when they do it), and I don't think ETA has ever tried for such mass death.

[Yo-Yo]

Only problem is that this is 11/3 to them, not 3/11. One of my European friends once jokingly asked what it was that had Americans so fixated on November 9th.

[KellyAdmirer]

John Kerry's response would be to serve the terrorists with legal papers.

[DoctorMichael]

Wasn't France's railway system supposedly targeted a week or so ago?

If this IS AQ and NOT Basque Separatists then maybe the target was changed?

[nickcarraway]

This article says the Basques denied they were involved- and they like to take credit.

[CFC__VRWC]

Will the rest of Europe dismiss it as ``Spain's Problem.''

More than likely they'll dismiss it as Bush's problem ("If Bush hadn't antagonized the Middle east by stealing Iraq's oil, this never would have happened!")

They'll also provbably imply, just like they did with us on 9/11, that Spain "had it coming."

[Mike Darancette]

Probably not ETA since publicity is aim of domestic terror and their record is to never deny their work. OTOH: Al'Queda never admits.

[sam_paine]

When the ETA realized how much damage they had actually pulled off, no doubt they would back away from it knowing how deleterious this would be for their Public Relations. Blame it on Al Qaeda, no problem!

[kevao]

If it is Islamofascists, then we must ask, Why Spain? IMO, because GWB and particularly John Ashcroft have made it too difficult for them to do it here again.

[mvonfr]

and I don't think ETA has ever tried for such mass death.

The usual ETA pattern is to warn in advance about bombs so as to minimize the civilian casualties.

[Go Gordon]

John Kerry says the threat of terrorism is overblown.

Then Kerry asked where Bush was when all this took place.

[quidnunc]

I just heard the Spanish ambassador on FOX and he insisted that this was the work of ETA, the Basque separatist terrorists.

[nickcarraway]

If Al Qaeda had been frustrated in attempts to commit terrorism in the U.S., they may have decided they have no choice but to commit their acts elsewhere.

[RightWhale]

Is this Islamic Fundamentalism, or is it the Basques?

I hope it was not the Basque. Such an act would never lead to reconciliation but to something more final.

[Yo-Yo]

Maybe it was AZF, who blackmailed the French on March 3rd for $4 million and one million Euros. Perhaps they set timers on trains headed for France, but got their times wrong.

[carton253]

I know that this is going to be politically incorrect -- but kill them all - kill every last man of them. (the terrorists and not Muslims in general)