ETA denies blame in Spain massacre
 

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...sec tion=news

MADRID (Reuters) - Millions of Spaniards chanting "Killers" took to the streets on Friday to protest against the Madrid bombings that killed nearly 200 people, as Basque separatist group ETA rejected government charges of blame.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and EU President Romano Prodi joined Spanish leaders and royal family members at the head of a march in Madrid in a huge show of unity a day after the bombs ripped through four packed commuter trains.

ETA said it was not responsible for the blasts that also wounded nearly 1,500 people, but Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar said the group remained the focus of inquiry.

"An ETA message has arrived saying that it bore no responsibility for the attack," ETB Basque public television reported.

Fears that Muslim militants linked to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda might have been behind Thursday's coordinated bombings put security forces on alert across Europe and beyond.

A six-and-a-half-month-old baby girl died in hospital on Friday, taking the official death toll to 199 in what Spanish media have dubbed "Our September 11."

Aznar, who has taken a tough line against ETA, said Spain would go ahead with a general election on Sunday, although the country is in an official state of mourning.

AZNAR ACCUSES ETA

"No line of investigation will be ruled out," Aznar told reporters, but he cited recent foiled ETA plots and intelligence suggesting the group was aiming at transport targets.

"What did this terrorist organization want when they tried to enter Madrid last week with 500 kilos of explosives? It's a line of investigation any Spanish government that hasn't lost its head has to follow. It's the one we are following and if there are other hypotheses, we'll follow them too."

Many analysts say any proven ETA involvement in the bombings would likely benefit the ruling center-right Popular Party in Sunday's election because of its tough stance on the group. Continued ...

The thing is, I watched Spanish television last night, for about an hour and not once did the mention anything about "some Muslim group sent a message to a local mosque claiming repsonsibility and about the van full of detonators and some muslim script writings in it"

However, this is the first thing I saw when I turned on CNN!!!

I don't belive American GOV/TV/MEDIA one thing they say and I never will!!!!

As I said previously. The Spanish government will do anything possible to blame it on the ETA. Elections are coming and if he blames it on the ETA he gets reelected because people blindly stand behind there president in such times. But if he says it's al Qaeda then the big majority of people in Spain who are against the Iraq invasion will see those attacks as an unfortunate and unnecessary result of his foreign policy.

Europeans don't think that way man!!! U got it all wrong.

That USA scams.... they tend to stay in USA!

Outch ... 6 months baby dying last :(

That's fucking sad . I'm glad I don't watch TV cauz I'd be running all arround the house freaking out . I hate that free violence . Just plain wrong . I hate Irak war and Bush administration, they are just WORSE !

I guess you have all the answers. Why are you a webmasters, when you have such intelligence?

Bush is doing the same thing ... he even flew out all bin laden's ...
It was a military attack not a fucking terrorism one.

I don't understand how you can still doubt that it's Al Kayeda...
there was a poll on Walla, the biggest Israeli news portal, aasking who it was, Al Qayeda, ETA or both, only 4% voted ETA

A poll about a recent event with minimal info leaked to public doesnt mean anything.

The timing was proper for ETA, but it makes me wonder since they have never done any similar attack in the past, at least from what I know. Who tells me that they didnt fuck up things and bombs exploded later than they wanted? On the other hand the attack is closer to what al queda does....... Still early to be sure for anything. Let's not forget that we draw conclusions from what they let us to learn.

It's unfortuanate that both groups would stand to gain something from this kind of massacre and the politicians will, of course, try to make the event turn out in their favor. The rest of us sheep can just watch the movie and try to guess at which alternate ending we are likely to see :2 cents:

Even Spanish government officials, say that the bombs are not the type that ETA has repeatedly used in the past.

Also, ETA has denied their involvement, which is also atypical because if anything, these crazy bastards are proud of what they do.

Hopefully the truth will come out soon.

:(

ETA would have sought out targets that destabilized the economy, such as financial targets or tourism targets. It doesnt add up that it was them. Also if it was them, why wouldnt they take credit for their actions?

Yea - shitty Arabian fundamentalists did it. They have no respect for human lives.

Who did this?... who did that?....
people are so hungry for justice now.

Hang'em high! That's what most of Spain is probably thinking just about now, and you can't really blame them, can you?

lol.. so? thats about the most biased group of people to be asking LOL. thats like walking into a GOP party room and asking who the best president was - Clinton or Reagan.. lol..You'd EXPECT a jewish poll to return that verdict.. theres no evidence for anything yet.. trial by speculation.. Lets wait and see could be the ETA doing it and blaming Al Quaeda to undermine the gov.

Although I am of course leaning towards Al Quaeda myself.

Anyone could've done it.

Just wait 911 days and leave an empty truck with arabic tapes.

Who do you think they're gonna blame?!