he March 11 bombings of the commuter rail system in Madrid killed over 200 people and injured over 1500 from 11 countries worldwide. This has been recorded as Europe’s largest terrorist incident in 15 years, since the Lockerbie plane bombing in 1988, and is the worst such attack in Spanish history.
The Madrid bombings occurred simultaneously on four commuter trains at the El Pozo, Atocha, and Santa Eugenia train stations just three days before general elections.
Controversy has arisen about who is responsible for the bombings. The Spanish government maintains that the well-known Basque terrorist group ETA, Euskadi ta Askatasuna, is the prime suspect in the bombing.
According to the New York Times, Spanish Interior Minister Angel Acebes said, “It is absolutely clear that the terrorist organization ETA was seeking an attack with wide repercussions.”
Since their separatist movement in 1968, the ETA has killed around 850 people in its fight for Basque independence. Historically the ETA prefers the terrorist murders of politicians, powerful religious figures, and reporters to tourists and civilians. Many feel that large-scale violence is unusual for the ETA.
Other evidence indicates that al-Qaeda perpetrated the attack.
Al-Quds, an Arabic newspaper based in London, reportedly received an e-mail in the name of al-Qaeda from “the Brigade of Abu Hafs al-Masri,” which claimed responsibility for the bombings. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the e-mail threatened retaliation against those that supported the Iraq war.
“This is part of settling old accounts with Spain, the crusader, and America’s ally in its war against Islam,” stated the e-mail.
More evidence pointed to al-Qaeda when a video was found featuring Abu Dujan al-Afghani, who claimed to be the military spokesman for al-Qaeda in Europe. According to cnn.com, the recording threatened that “more blood will flow.”
“We declare our responsibility for what occurred in Madrid, just 2.5 years after the attacks in New York and Washington,” al-Afghani said.
Sophomore Emma Juncadella studied abroad in Madrid last semester and immediately called friends in Spain when she heard about the bombings.
“A lot of friends I met there were not only Spaniards but Arabs,” Juncadella said. “It makes me wonder about the repercussions and how society will react to all the insanity and how people will react in general. They worry and think about how their lives will change. With security – will their lives change because they are Arabs?”
Spanish officials have already detained three Moroccans and two Indians for questioning surrounding the attacks. Many see the connection between the terrorism of 9-11 on American soil that killed 2,752 people and the terrorism of 3-11 on Spanish soil. Spain is one of America’s closest European allies and one of 25 countries that supported the U.S.-led war against Iraq.
According to the New York Times, Osama bin Laden threatened the Spanish government for its connection with the Iraq war last Oct. after Spain sent in 1,300 peacekeeping troops.
The mourning of the Madrid bombings is comparable to the mourning that ensued after 9-11 in America.
First-year Melissa Marshall spent spring break in Barcelona, Spain, where she went to a protest at the Palau de Gracia.
“More than half the city was there – 1.2 million people in the streets,” Marshall said. “Little kids with peace signs and elderly people … the whole city unified as one. There was a huge sense of understanding and all of it was really sad; the sense of energy and excitement that the opportunity for change was there. It was both a vigil and a protest. It was for mourning the loss and it was a call to action at the same time.”
El Mundo, Madrid’s largest daily newspaper, recorded that over 2 million people gathered at the capital last Friday to protest the violence.
Throngs of Spaniards held vigils of silence across the country, holding signs that read, “Death won’t silence us” and “Paz.” At the same time, the mantra “We are all Spaniards” was heard all across Europe, according to the London Times. The Spanish embassy in the United States also held vigils.
Many Europeans have started referring to the Madrid bombings as 11-M for March 11.
Last Thursday’s Madrid bombings did not hinder voter turnout in last weekend’s general political elections in Spain, where a record 76% of voters turned out. According to NPR, the 44 million registered voters all had M-11 on their minds.
Earlier this week, many Spaniards felt that the Populist Party withheld information about the Madrid bombings to avoid damaging chances in the election. In fact M-11 did affect the election; the rivaling Socialist Party prime minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero won the election Sunday.