The Hindu : Poll overshadowed by Al-Qaeda claim

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 15, 2004

International

International

Poll overshadowed by Al-Qaeda claim

MADRID, MARCH 14. Spaniards turned out in great numbers on Sunday to vote in general elections thrown wide open by an Al-Qaeda claim that it staged the Madrid terror attack to punish the Government for backing the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Still reeling from the railway bombings which killed 200 people and injured 1,500, Spaniards entered voting booths grim-faced and speaking in whispers.

``Spain has never voted in such a tragic situation. There's a feeling of anguish, sadness, horror,'' said Joaquin Leguina, a former President of Madrid's regional government.

Some voters expressed anger at the ruling Popular Party of the outgoing Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar, accusing him of making Spain a target for Islamic extremists because of his support for the Iraq war, which a vast majority Spaniards opposed. Mr. Aznar sent 1,300 Spanish troops to Iraq after the conflict and 11 have died.

Other voters expressed support for the ruling party because of its backing of the Iraq war and its crackdown on the armed Basque separatist group ETA, which the Government initially blamed for Thursday's attack.

Under brilliant skies after several days of rain, Spaniards flocked to the polls early. — AP

Speculation rife

Batuk Gathani reports from Brussels:

Speculation is rife in Spain on the identity of the perpetrators of the train blasts. On Friday, the authorities were pointing the finger at ETA — a secessionist terrorist movement based in the Basque region, where a minority of extremists are seeking independence from Madrid.

The ETA has been supporting the secessionist movement for the last 39 years, periodically highlighted by terrorist acts and assassinations of members of the establishment.

The Prime Minister, Jose Maria Anza's Government has cracked down on the movement, and many Spaniards feel that pointing the finger at ETA might be a ploy to gain `sympathy' votes in the election. Thousands of Spanish citizens in Basque region gathered in a silent vigil to pay tribute to the victims.

Many demonstrated outside the Popular Party headquarters to protest against it making the incidents an "election issue". The secessionist movement has so far not attempted a major terrorist attack on the scale of the Madrid one.

An air of calm and deep sadness descended on Spain and the blasts are rated as the worst act of terror in Europe after a terrorist bomb downed a Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland in December 1988 killing 270 people.

All over Europe, people and authorities are in a deep quandary. If a link with the Islamic fundamentalists or Al-Qaeda movement is established, the issue will acquire a pan-European significance.

From Portugal to Poland, authorities are tightening security at train stations, airports and above all border posts.

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