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Guerrillas Kill 173 in Pre-Election Blasts - Spain


method77

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MADRID (Reuters) - Basque separatists killed 173 people in simultaneous blasts that ripped through packed Madrid trains in the guerrilla group's bloodiest attack in more than three decades, Spain said on Thursday.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks across the Spanish capital three days before a national election, but Spain insisted the Basque separatist group ETA was to blame.

It brushed aside suggestions that Muslim militants angry at Spain's support for the U.S.-led war in Iraq were behind the attacks.

Ten rush-hour blasts at three railway stations tore up people, including a baby, and left pools of blood in the wreckage of trains, tracks and buildings.

"It is absolutely clear that the terrorist organization ETA was seeking an attack with wide repercussions," Interior Minister Angel Acebes told a hastily called news conference, dismissing speculation that any other group could be involved.

Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar vowed the government would arrest the "criminals" behind the blasts, which ripped open commuter trains like tuna cans.

The Interior Ministry said 173 people died in the explosions which rocked the central Madrid station of Atocha, the southern Madrid station of El Pozo and a third at Santa Eugenia.

Officials said 600 people were injured.

ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna) has killed around 850 people since 1968 in its fight for a separate Basque homeland in northwest Spain and southwest France and has been branded a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.

Late last month, police arrested two suspected ETA members who were heading for Madrid with a van containing 1,100 lbs of explosives, averting a possible attack.

If the Basque group was responsible for Thursday's bombings, it would be its deadliest attack, exceeding the 21 people it killed in a supermarket blast in Barcelona in 1987. ( read more )

Edit: News report more than 180 killed by the time I posted this. A sad day for Spain

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Once again ...we are reminded that there is a price to pay for standing up to terrorists.

If we appeased them and gave into their demands , would they stop committing acts of terror?

No. They would become even more enboldened.

Terrorists get a thrill from killing and maiming random innocent people.

Either they kill us ...or we kill them.

That's why pre-emptive strikes on terrorists are so important.

Sadly , once again, we are reminded that we are at war.

My condolences go out to all in Spain that were killed or affected by this cowardly terrorist act.

:read this: :read this: :read this:

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So let me get this straight Method...the people on the train in Madrid.. that were killed are to share 1/2 of the blame for their own deaths?

You cannot reason with terrorists.

Terrorists(by defination) have given up reason - in order to promote their agenda at any cost...by any means.

ie.....you cannot pet a rabid dog.

I hope your country dosn't learn this lesson the hard way during the Olympics.

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all terrorists are not the same mike. You cannot compare these acts to the acts that people did in East Timor for instance. Those were fighting for their independence against Indonesia that invaded and killed them 30 years ago. Who's the terrorist in that situation? History proved East Timor was right and gained freedom.

All I'm saying is that giving the term "terrorist" to everybody who fights for his rights is really dumb. Most of the world considers Bush a terrorist (I agree btw). Just cause he is a country leader doesn't give him the right to start wars around the globe

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..dosn't matter who the terrorists were....it's their act of terror I have a problem with.

ALL TERRORIST ACTS ARE THE SAME.

Terrorists kill innocent people delibrately ...on purpose ...to further their cause.

Self defense (East Timor etc...)is another matter.

Kinda like comparing a arsonist to a fireman.

yeah yeah...I know one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter...but the difference is in the tactics.

Terrorists TARGET innocent civilians....to cause terror in order to accomplish their goals.

Terrorists dont want to negociate..or attempt reason... through the rules of civilized law.

They want something and they will use ANY means to get it.

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Terrorists TARGET innocent civilians....to cause terror in order to accomplish their goals. 
let me just rephrase that a bit...

Bush TARGETS innocent civilians....to cause terror in order to accomplish his goals.

Is he a terrorist?

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Has the line between good & bad blurred so much....

that after terrorists set off 10 bombs ....killing and wounding several hundred innocent people...

.we say to ourselves...'well maybe they were driven to do what they did' ...they were fighting for their cause...

yeah...the devil made them do it :frog: :frog: :frog: :frog: :frog:

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Purported Qaeda Letter Claims Spain Bombings-Paper

Thu Mar 11, 2004 03:31 PM ET

DUBAI (Reuters) - A letter purporting to come from Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network claimed responsibility for the train bombings in Spain on Thursday, calling them strikes against "crusaders," a London-based Arabic newspaper said.

"We have succeeded in infiltrating the heart of crusader Europe and struck one of the bases of the crusader alliance," said the letter which called the attacks "Operation Death Trains." There was no way of authenticating the letter, a copy of which was faxed to Reuters' office in Dubai by the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper.

The letter bore the signature "Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades." The newspaper received similar letters from the same brigade claiming responsibility on behalf of al Qaeda for a November bombing of two synagogues in Turkey and the August bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad.

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Bush TARGETS innocent civilians....to cause terror in order to accomplish his goals.

170 innocent people were just killed in Spain by terroirsts... What's with the anti-American rant here...???

As to the thesis statement above, I guess it comes down to defining what a terrorist is and then defining what you think Bush's goals are. I too would like to hear an example of where Bush inflicted terror upon innocent civilians to accomplish his goals.

I think you can accuse Bush of a lot of things--arrogance--of being being a big bully --of being a Plutocrat--and to a minor extent, a religious zealot (Like Bin Laden ). You could say, that Bush's actions/American policy indirectly hurt civilians in Iraq, and for that matter, US Soldiers--but you would be hard pressed to say he was a terrorist to the people in Iraq, given who he went after...

From my pov, if civilians are purposely killed, I dont give a fuck what someone's rationale is --freedom fighter or not --its WRONG--and the means dont justify the ends--ever. Im about as anti-Bush as they come--but Bush shouldnt be mentioned in the same light as these thugs.

Are Bush's policies threatening to world peace? I probably would agree with you, Method, particularly when he sometimes thumbs his nose at the rest of the world's leaders and diverts his attention to Iraq instead of going after the Al Queda. But make no mistake about it, the current group of terrorists the world is up agains have no respect for human life whatsoever. They are selfish, power-hungry twisted religious nuts, and they've got to go.

I realize that the US government's current policies has damaged America around the world--and there are many of his who are quite critical of his policies- both domestically and abroad. But you mustn't forget, that America has also done a lot of great things. I dont see many other countries stepping up to the plate these days. Why should we always be the scapegoats for the problems of the world? So, Method, where are the good guys? I dont see any bright lights coming out of Europe and stepping in to save the day..for instance, in Africa, where the slaughter continues year after year..

And MikeH, while i agree we need to rid ourselves of terrorists, Im not in line with your belief that you have to carry a big stick and intimidate the rest of the world to do so.

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170 innocent people were just killed in Spain by terroirsts... What's with the anti-American rant here...???
I wasn't saying that america had anything to do with it. The discussion just lead there
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I think Mike provoked your response with his macho post... But Im sensitive to the anti-Americanism in the world today, and alot of the blame is misplaced...

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I too would like to hear an example of where Bush inflicted terror upon innocent civilians to accomplish his goals.

Not to bash the U.S., cause I kind of like it. However, the gov't has been doing some wacky things lately.

Throw away all of the invasions of privacy, even invasions of countries.. and you still have 'camp x-ray' in Cuba. Nobody could argue that all of the people held there are criminals or even have criminal intent. Some of them have this misfortune of knowing bad people.

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When & Where has Bush delibrately planned to kill innocent people
when he starts an ILLEGAL war against any country and civilians get killed, then YES, he is as guilty as those terrorists
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when he starts an ILLEGAL war against any country and civilians get killed, then YES, he is as guilty as those terrorists

Again--Hard to call the US terrorists when youve got dictators running the country with gold-plated machine guns and a countryside littered with genocide. Are you suggesting Saddam was less a terrorist, and what would have made the war legal?

I actually think the idiots were so paranoid, they thought there were weapons of mass destruction. Check out the thread I sent you and tell me these guys werent paranoid or shell-shocked:

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timelin...restingday.html

"As to 'camp x-ray' in Cuba"-- its a disgrace.

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  • 2 weeks later...

sorry, i missed this earlier dude.

the intent was neither anti-american nor anti-bush sentiments. rather it was a comment upon the attitudes and tactics being used in the "war on terrorism" by the government that represents all US citizens...not just the few.

the concern was/is whether the ends justify the means and whether the information we receive is complete.

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Lol. Just to set the record straight, Medusa, I dont like our government's policy, and I introduce myself as being left of McGovern. But sometimes, I think the American critics go to far, and seem to think that the government represents the point of view of the rest of us - which it doesn't :o

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QUOTE]I think the American critics go to far, and seem to think that the government represents the point of view of the rest of us - which it doesn't

idealistically it should, though we're a far cry from that standard

who/what is (a) McGovern? :we don't get it:

btw, nice hat and guitar

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George McGovern was a former presidential candidate for the Democrats in 1972. He was the peace candidate alternative to the constantly unshaven Richard M. Nixon.....that was the 1st election I ever voted in, and to my everlasting shame I voted for Nixon. Wouldn't our history have been different if McGovern had won!

http://www.mcgovernlibrary.com/george.htm

http://www.buzzflash.com/interviews/04/01/int04007.html

A George McGovern interview from this year

Edited by Kooperman
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