News & Politics - More than 100 people feared dead in suspected terrorist attack

**Avatar** · 03-11-2004, 05:13 AM

From the BBC:

Quote:

Scores die in Madrid bomb carnage

A string of deadly blasts has hit three Madrid train stations during the rush hour with latest reports speaking of more than 100 people killed.

Dazed and bloodied commuters staggered from the Atocha station in the heart of the Spanish capital where two blasts destroyed a suburban train.

Two other train stations were also hit by the near simultaneous explosions.

Spain's government has blamed Basque separatist group Eta for the attacks which come ahead of Sunday's elections.

Blood donations

"This is a massacre," said government spokesman Eduardo Zaplana.

He condemned what he called "an attack on Spanish democracy", calling Eta "a criminal gang of killers."

The authorities say no warning was given before the blasts.

The explosions at Atocha happened at about 0630 GMT as a train was pulling into the station.

"People started to scream and run, some bumping into each other," Juani Fernandez, a civil servant who was on the platform, told the Associated Press.

" I saw people with blood pouring from them, people on the ground."

There were scenes of carnage at Atocha, a huge rail station used by commuter and inter-city trains, which also has a metro station.

There were similar scenes of destruction and chaos at two smaller commuter stations: El Pozo and Santa Eugenia.

Hundreds of people were injured in the attacks. The emergency services have set up a treatment centre in a sports hall and Madrid hospitals have made an urgent appeal for blood donations.

Spain's political parties have suspended campaigning for Sunday's poll.

Bomb plots

There has been no claim of responsibility from Eta, but across the political spectrum in Spain there has been widespread condemnation of the group.

Interior Minister Angel Acebes, speaking from the scene of the blast at Atocha, said, "Have no doubt, those responsible will be caught and will pay for their crime."

The Basque regional president, Juan Jose Ibarretxe, stressed that Eta does not represent the Basque people.

"When Eta attacks, the Basque heart breaks into a thousand pieces," he said.

The Spanish government has declared three days of mourning for the victims and called on Spaniards to stage rallies on Friday evening to condemn the attacks.

If it is confirmed as Eta's work, it would be the deadliest attack by the group, which has killed more than 800 people in its armed struggle for independence from the Spanish state since the late 1960s.

Last month, two suspected Eta members were arrested as they headed to Madrid in a truck laden with explosives.

Spanish police said they were arrested about 140km outside the city with 500kg of explosives hidden in the vehicle.

And last December, Spanish authorities said they foiled a Basque separatist plot to blow up a train at a Madrid rail station.

France has stepped up its police presence on its border with Spain in response to Thursday's attacks, the French news agency AFP reports.

Close co-operation between the two countries has led to dozens of arrests of suspected Eta members in southern France in recent years.

CNN is reporting 131 dead, the Guardian "over 60" and the NY Times "at least 62".

I'm sympatetic towards the Basque cause as I think everyone should have the right to self-determination, but, if it is the ETA, this is not the way to go about it.

electra · 03-11-2004, 06:58 AM

I just watched the news, it's so horrible. They were talking about more than 173 dead people and 600 wounded. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

kutu · 03-11-2004, 07:02 AM

I'm spainsh and all I have to say is this is the worst thing that has happened here since the Civil War [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] I hope whoever made this has the worst in life since they don't seem to have soul. We've been good to them (heck they even have fiscal privileges compare to the rest of Spain).

Dou you want to know their resons to be a nation?

-The basques were people who lived there before the romans. They still speak basque, that's the only difference with the cantabrians and astures (and the rest of people who lived in the pre- Hispania).
-They've never been a country but since they helped a spanish king to become king he gave them some autonomy. They've been part of the Castilla kindgom, the Navarra Kindgom, the Castilla and Le�n Kindgom and then (when Isabel de Castilla married Fernando de Arag�n and Spain was formed) Spain. We've never conquered them, they were part of these kindgoms since the musulmans invaded the visgothic country and the cristians formed the kindgoms of the north. It was a natural born.
-They're different from me, you and the rest of the worl. Yes, that's what you hear. They're the descendant of the basques and their blood is different from the rest of the people [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]
-They didn't even want to become a nation till the XX century when the companys there became rich (since Madrid goverment put there A LOT OF MONEY).
-Till the XX century they claimed to be the descendants of the cantabrians (maybe cause the romans didn't find hard to conquer them and the cantabrians were the ones to fight them till the end).
-Then of course is theis funniest reason: cause "Franco treated us badly". Sorry, my grandfather's family was from a non- independant region and they all ended badly (dead, in exile...).
-In the Basque land if you're against a Basque nation you recieve threats almost every day, thousands of people had to move to other parts of Spain cause the pro- independence made their lives living hells (they burn your car, make paints saying you're on their list and you'll be their next target...) There's no democracy there. Where I live a lot of basques are afraid of other basques cause "maybe they're pro- independence" and if someone find you're not with them you're in trouble.

So excuse me if I say this: I hope ETA and their supporters (those who open champagne bottles every time ETA kills someone and probably are having a party today while Spain cries the 173 innocent people who died there, children included) pay for this. I want them in jail, for the rest of their lives and if there's God, Yavh� or Mahome out there I hope he has something bad prepared to them.

sir_drinks_alot · 03-11-2004, 07:17 AM

i send my condolence to the People of Span
upon this sad day for there Nation [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]
The Madrid bombings are a monstrous assault on European democracy. We must unite against the totalitarianism of terror

PiPaS · 03-11-2004, 09:18 AM

First of all, I send my most sincere condolences to Spain and all the Spanish members of Fanforum,in special. I ve been following the news and it is definitely a vision of terror.
I am sure the majority of the Basques is against this sort of act. Because there is nothing to celebrate or be happy about what happened this morning. I am not an expert on Spanish politics and I honestly dont know what the ETA gains with this. Of course, the PP will win the elections on Sunday with a vast majority but...seriously.Why? To show that they are still alive?
This is a sad day.

kutu · 03-11-2004, 09:58 AM

I'm mad at CNN and The New York Post, they keep calling ETA "separatist group": They're TERRORISTS and I think today made it clear.

It's horrible, they're showing images of dead people on the rails, it seems parts of bodies are everywhere and a mother is on the TV with a pic of his son (a teenager) saying that he must be dead cause when she gave the pic to the people on the hospitals they said he's not there and he didn't come back home.

They attacked the trains the working class of Madrid uses. I have no words for it, it's the worst thing that's ever happened to us in more than 60 years.

About the basques being against this... they are but only 300 people went to the manifestation on the basque university. In mine (ten times smaller) we were 5000. Many basques are scared cause you never know who could be a pro ETA (you wouldn't believe how many people voted for the political arm of ETA till it was made ilegal by Spain and the UE).

SuperDeluxe · 03-11-2004, 10:57 AM

Death toll up to 180, injuries up to 900.

Terrorism is bad..be it ETA or Al Qaeda.

We are not 100% percent sure that this is ETA, like the CNN article says from a Basque politician, ETA ALWAYS calls in a attack..

This was massive and coordinated, the modus operandi of Al Qaeda..Numerous trains and numerous bombs.

Either way, those who are responsiable should have the largest possiable penalty.

If it is the ETA, I think it hurts the Basque cause...This will make EVERYONE angry at Basque region.

Jiang Li · 03-11-2004, 11:04 AM

I would like to say how awful I think the events of today are, and I would like to offer my sympathies to the Spanish people.

As soon as I heard about this I thought it may have been ETA, Ive been to French and Spanish Basque areas and whats always struck me is how different the French/Spanish areas are (as in the Spanish areas are much more pro the Basque area becoming independant). I was in San Sebestian (Basque: Donnastia?) the year before last and in various areas of the city there were people protesting for Basque independance, and there had already been bombings in Spain by ETA earlier in the month. Its obivously an ongoing problem for the Spainish government, but its awful that this come to such a tradegy.

sir_drinks_alot · 03-11-2004, 04:05 PM

well tonight there seems to be yet more
sickening twists to this story it seems
that are old Nemesis Al Qaeda have taken
reasonability for it i just don't feel that
safe knowing how close this latest attack
is to the uk [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[ 03-11-2004: Message edited sir_drinks_alot ]

Richardjer. · 03-11-2004, 04:08 PM

I dont care if ETA or Al-Qaeda did this...
I think this is consequence of terrible political external of USA and the famous "coalition"... [img]smilies/nono.gif[/img]

i guess next is England [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[ 03-11-2004: Message edited Richardjer. ]

Jess519 · 03-11-2004, 06:09 PM

Wow, scary. I've been to Madrid and this news saddens me.

capesidefan · 03-11-2004, 06:41 PM

sad news [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] my prayers and thoughts are with the people of Spain.....

Nutters · 03-11-2004, 06:45 PM

I'm Spanish and I'm sad. It took me hours to believe what had happened. I hope we found out who did this.

SuperDeluxe · 03-11-2004, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Richardjer.:
<STRONG>I dont care if ETA or Al-Qaeda did this...
I think this is consequence of terrible political external of USA and the famous "coalition"... [img]smilies/nono.gif[/img]

i guess next is England [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[ 03-11-2004: Message edited Richardjer. ]</STRONG>

Thats right..darn that coalition for trying to STOP Al Qaeda.

heh.

SuperDeluxe · 03-11-2004, 07:40 PM

Death toll over 200 now, injuries over 1200

Al Qaeda is claiming responsability.


Fan Forum > General Discussion > News & Politics > More than 100 people feared dead in suspected terrorist attack