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Bombing clues point to Islamist terrorists
U.S. officials cited circumstantial evidence yesterday that Islamist terrorists may have been behind the bombings in Madrid, but cautioned it is too early to tell whether al Qaeda or one of its affiliates was responsible.
| Well, they have taken credit for it... |
The attacks, in which 10 bombs exploded in trains and stations along a commuter line in Spainâs capital city, bore several hallmarks of Osama bin Ladenâs network or its allies, including the synchronized nature of the explosions and the clear targeting of civilians, counterterrorism officials said. Spanish officials, who initially placed blame for the bombings on the Basque separatist group ETA, said later in the day that new lines of investigation were opened after police discovered a van with detonators and an audiotape of verses from the Koran. The vehicle was parked near a station where three of the targeted commuter trains had originated.
| Sounds pretty Islamist to me... |
In addition, 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 United States is "90 percent" ready.
| It's gonna come off February 2nd, y'know... |
But U.S. officials cautioned that the group, which takes its name from a slain al Qaeda leader, has frequently claimed credit for attacks and events for which it is clearly not responsible, including the power failure that plunged New York City and much of the Northeast into darkness last summer. "This was a very well-planned and highly synchronized attack that targeted innocent civilians," said one U.S. counterterrorism official. "There are a lot of indicators here that indicate it could be a radical Islamist group. . . . But we are keeping our options open for the moment until we can compile more hard evidence." Officials with the CIA, FBI and other U.S. agencies said they are awaiting results of forensic tests and other analysis before reaching any firm conclusions. U.S. officials also said they are relying on information supplied by Spanish authorities in making assessments. "It is too soon to tell who did it," a senior U.S. intelligence official said.
Intelligence assessments of the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades vary, and some intelligence officials believe the group may exist in name only. One senior intelligence official said the group has no proven connection to bin Laden. It is not "a known terrorist organization," the official said, but rather an individual or group that has tried to take credit for other actions. The group claimed responsibility last year for the November bombings of two synagogues in Turkey and the August bombing of a Marriott hotel. In its e-mail yesterday to the al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper, the group also claimed it was behind Mondayâs attacks on a Masonic lodge in Istanbul. The letter, which dubbed the Madrid explosions "Operation Death Trains," 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 âWinds of Black Deathâ strike against America is now in its final stage."
| Gonna give us plague, huh? |
The senior U.S. intelligence official indicated that some of the early evidence found by Spanish authorities was inconclusive. Dynamite discovered in connection with the attacks, which was first labeled as being the same type used by ETA, is widely available commercially and has not been used by the Basque terrorist group for many years, the 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.
Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-03-12 |
