Q&A: Intelligence on Madrid blasts. Cont'd.
The question of who was responsible for the terrorist attacks in Madrid is still unclear.
As an investigation begins, some in Spain still believe this has to be the work of Eta, while others say it could not have planned attacks on such a huge scale.
Frank Gardner looks at what we know so far about who could be responsible.
What
points to Eta?
Some of the forensic analysis has begun already, and this is mainly what is causing the Spanish authorities to say they believe it is Eta. They are saying that traces of explosives found match those known to be used by Eta and also match a batch stolen and believed to be in Eta's hands. However, these attacks would be a quantum leap for Eta. Their largest death toll up to now was in 1987 when they killed 21 shoppers in Barcelona, so this would be in a totally different league for them.
Why would al-Qaeda strike Spain?
The main reasons they would want to hit Spain are in revenge for its assistance to the US and UK in the war on terror and its role in Iraq. It has had a pro-active role in both of these operations. The London-based Arabic newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi quoted from a statement in which al-Qaeda reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. The statement said the bombs were a punishment for Spain's role in Iraq. It uses phrases such as "we have got behind the lines" and "we have penetrated the crusader land," which is how the group refers to Europe.
Could this happen in the UK?
The simple answer is yes. We are not screened in our everyday lives, especially on public transport, and we live in an open democracy. In a way we are living in a twilight zone in Britain, because it has not happened here yet.
