March 11, 2004
United Press International

Madrid Bombings Carry al-Qaida Hallmark

by Claude Salhani

WASHINGTON, March 11 (UPI) -- "It's a declaration of war against democracy," said Pat Cox, the president of the European Parliament, of Thursday's attacks in Madrid. On that point there is no debate. What is debatable, however, is who is responsible for the senseless slaughter of innocents.

While all fingers in Spain are pointing at the Basque separatist movement ETA as the perpetrators of Thursday's atrocious train bombings that left some 186 dead and 600 wounded, the attacks carry all the markings of al-Qaida and its jihadi affiliates. . . .

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Standard Schaeffer, "'Al Qaeda Itself Does Not Exist'," CounterPunch, June 21, 2003

"Madrid attacks timeline," BBC News, March 12, 2004

Giles Tremlett, "Furious voters oust Spanish government," Guardian, March 15, 2004

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