Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (184653)	3/13/2004 8:53:21 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 1573018

Al-Qa'eda: We were behind the massacre in Madrid By Damien McElroy in Madrid (Filed: 14/03/2004) Al-Qa'eda claimed responsibility for the Madrid train bombs atrocity late last night as Spanish police arrested five suspects in the hunt for those responsible for the deaths of 200 train travellers. Spain's interior minister, Angel Acebes, said that an Arab-language video tape - which has yet to be authenticated - had been located in which the attacks were claimed on behalf of al-Qa'eda by Osama bin Laden's military spokesman in Europe. "A man dressed like an Arab [and speaking] Arabic with a Moroccan accent claimed responsibility," said Mr Acebes. In a rough translation from the Spanish, the tape said: "We declare our responsiblity for what has happened." It cited the reason for the attacks as the Spanish Government's collaboration "with the criminal [George W] Bush and his allies . . . this is a response to crimes that you have committed in the world, specifically in Iraq and Afghanistan and there will be more God willing. You love life and we love death, the blood will go on and on." Three Moroccans and two Indians were held in Madrid after a mobile telephone configured in Arabic text was found in a sports bag packed with explosives. It was recovered from a commuter train blown up in Thursday's blasts. Mr Acebes said the suspects were traced using mobile telephone records. They were being questioned, along with two Spaniards of Indian extraction. "This is a very good line of inquiry," he said. "Things are advancing in the right direction. All of them [are] suspected of involvement in the sale and falsification of the mobiles that were found in the bag which failed to explode." He refused to say whether the arrests pointed towards involvement by Islamic extremists, but this new development appeared to support the suspicions of Spanish military intelligence officers that al-Qa'eda terrorists were behind the blasts, which claimed another victim yesterday. Mr Acebes had earlier declared that Eta, the Basque separatist group, was the government's prime suspect, but intelligence officials said that it was "inconceivable" that Eta was capable of carrying out the attacks - a view increasingly shared by British politicians. Last night, one Cabinet minister told The Telegraph: "On Friday, we were sure that it was Eta. But in the past 24 hours there has been a significant shift towards al-Qa'eda." A senior British intelligence official said that the attacks bore the hallmark of al-Qa'eda rather than Eta. "In the past, Eta has always given warnings to avoid significant civilian casualties," he said. "This did not happen in Madrid." The bag that provided the police with vital clues is believed to have been taken from the devastated train during the rescue effort and piled up with abandoned luggage after the blasts. Station attendants were alerted when a mobile phone alarm went off in the bag. It had been set for 7.39pm, rather than 7.39am as the bombers intended. The 10 bombs that did go off were all detonated by mobile phone timers. It is believed the mobile in the bag has been linked to another telephone found in a stolen Renault van parked in Alcala, from where the doomed trains left for Madrid. The police were suspicious because the van contained detonators and a tape of Koranic verses. A witness was reported to have seen three masked men wearing backpacks leaving the van. They are said to have been identified by police on station CCTV. Officials from Spain's National Intelligence Centre (CNI) said their organisation was certain it knew the affiliation of the terrorists after the surviving backpack was found to contain explosives not normally used by Eta. The timing of the tape's release will cause maximum uncertainty among voters in today's general election. Jose Maria Aznar, the prime minister, had stuck to claims of Eta involvement, hoping that it would earn him voter support. Mr Aznar feared that if it emerged that al-Qa'eda was responsible, he would be blamed for provoking the atrocity because of his support for Britain and America during last year's war in Iraq. The invasion was very unpopular with the Spanish public, with thousands demonstrating against it. Last night, riot police confronted 5,000 demonstrators outside the headquarters of the ruling Popular Party in Madrid, demanding that the government clarify who was behind the attacks. "Who did it?" they chanted. "Before we vote, we want the truth." telegraph.co.uk