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Bombing Clues Point to Islamist Terrorists

(Washington Post) The attacks bore several hallmarks of bin Laden's network or its allies, including the synchronized nature of the explosions and the clear targeting of civilians, U.S. counterterrorism officials said. Spanish officials, who initially placed blame for the bombings on the Basque separatist group ETA, said later that police discovered a van with detonators and an audiotape of verses from the Koran, parked near a station where three of the targeted commuter trains had originated. A shadowy group affiliated with al-Qaeda, the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, sent e-mails to two London-based Arabic newspapers claiming responsibility for the bombings and warning that an attack against the U.S. is "90%" ready. The letter called the attacks "a way to settle old accounts with Spain, crusader and ally of America in its war against Islam." The letter also warned that "the expected 'Winds of Black Death' strike against America is now in its final stage." On Oct. 18, bin Laden included Spain in a warning of coming actions in response to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. "We reserve the right to retaliate at the appropriate time and place against all countries involved," bin Laden said, "especially the UK, Spain, Australia, Poland, Japan, and Italy." Dynamite discovered in connection with the attacks has not been used by the Basque terrorist group for many years, a U.S. official said. The train bombings do not bear key similarities to past attacks by ETA, which usually provides a warning, kills comparably few people, and primarily targets Spanish government officials and facilities.
2004-03-12 00:00:00
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