Who do you think did this? ETA? Al Quaeda? Somebody else altogether?
Do you think this will factor into the 2004 U.S. elections? If it proves to be Islamic Fundamentalists, do you think it will cause Europe to become more or less anti U.S. foreign policy regarding the war in Iraq?
Meaning know disrespect to those who died and the ones who are left to mourn them (and I know I’m going to get Pitted for this), but how long do you think it will be before this is labelled “America’s fault” by fishbrains in the European and American presses?
This is a bit out of ETA’s character. Also they have denied involvement. The only thing linking them to the bomb is the kind of explosives used.
The attack '87 was a mistake. That bomb went off before it was supposed to. This latest attack was no mistake. I doubt it was ETA. Maybie a new fraction.
The Bausqe terrorist organization has affiliated itself with, and trained other terrorists such as the IRA and the Algerian Islamic Group. It wouldn’t suprise me to find out it really was Al Quaeda. The news reported that Al Quaeda took credit for it and blamed Spain for supporting the US.
I’m sure they are ever-so-proud of this recent “accomplishment”.
The Spanish government thinks ETA is to blame, but says it is keeping an open mind. Al-Qaeda has supposedly claimed responsibility but other evidence points to ETA, and it apparently unlike Al-Qaeda to claim responsibility so early.
I doubt whether it will have much effect on the US election. I don’t think it will have any effect on the policy of European countries towards Iraq either. If you meant will it have an effect on European people’s opinion on Iraq, then again i would say probably not. People in favour of the Iraq war will still be in favour. People against it will still continue to think that the Iraq war didn’t do anything to stop terrorism.
As to your final question. I bet there are some crackpots with tin-foil hats on who are at this moment blaming the US for it. I can’t see anyone in the UK press blaming the US though, and i imagine the same is true for other European press. I think you over estimate how anti-US Europeans are. Some people might blame the Spanish PM though, for taking them into the Iraq war…
From over here in the US, I’d say it looks like a signature Al Qaeda attack. According to the news I just saw, there was one bomb going off every 90 seconds, and it took a full 20 minutes for the whole thing to finish. 13 of 15 bombs went off; the authorities managed to defuse two of them. It practically screams Al Qaeda, but I suppose we’ll have to wait a little while before a final determination can be made.
Makes me more than a little nervous, as I take the NYC subway every working day.
Also, there’s the fact that this is 3-11, exactly two and a half years after 9-11. Might be a coincidence, but it’d be one doozy of one if it is.
My condolences to all who were affected.
I have an open mind but lean towards Al Qaeda being involved, either alone or in association with other organisations. I’m also in the camp that suspects it will not be blamed on the US, or make Europeans more or less anti-American than now, but it may well increase the unease over the success of the policies that are being, and have been pursued to date.
As others have pointed out the current Spainish Government chose to strongly associate herself with the US/UK action in Iraq and should take responsibility for that policy if in consequence they become a target for linked terrorism.
Rather more pertenant than any influence on the US elections, is what effect it will have on the **Spanish ** general elections that are scheduled for this Sunday I believe. I suspect that date will arrive too soon for this to have a major effect, other than any emotional effect produced by how the various politicians react. Going down the Bush “Gung-ho” verbal route may well be counterproductive with the electorate though given the Spanish governments policy was pretty unpopular to start with with the general population.