TA-ATTACKS: Terrorist Rail Bombings in Madrid, Al Qaeda Claims Responsibility, Threatens US Attacks

Anyone up for Iran/Syria this year?

Here is more info on the letter. Not sure if the signature or other info is related to previous, I am sure someone on ATS is tracking that level of data though.

DUBAI (Reuters) - A letter purporting to come from Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network claimed responsibility for the train bombings in Spain on Thursday, calling them strikes against "crusaders," a London-based Arabic newspaper said.
"We have succeeded in infiltrating the heart of crusader Europe and struck one of the bases of the crusader alliance," said the letter which called the attacks "Operation Death Trains." There was no way of authenticating the letter, a copy of which was faxed to Reuters' office in Dubai by the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper.

The letter bore the signature "Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades." The newspaper received similar letters from the same brigade claiming responsibility on behalf of al Qaeda for a November bombing of two synagogues in Turkey and the August bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad.

Spain's interior minister said authorities are investigating a van found with eight detonators and an Arabic tape with Koranic teachings to determine if it is related to the bombings on commuter trains in Madrid that killed at least 190 people. The Interior Ministry said the Spanish terror group ETA remains the prime suspect.

www.cnn.com...


Still, no one has claimed responsibility.

Originally posted by elevatedone
Spain's interior minister said authorities are investigating a van found with eight detonators and an Arabic tape with Koranic teachings to determine if it is related to the bombings on commuter trains in Madrid that killed at least 190 people. The Interior Ministry said the Spanish terror group ETA remains the prime suspect.

www.cnn.com...


Still, no one has claimed responsibility.

elevated, keep an eye on the initial post, which is constantly being updated.
Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility. CNN's website is a little behind right now.

-B.

They have claimed it now according to many news sites.

Updated: Interior Ministry is actively investigating an Al Qaeda link, though have not ruled out ETA involvement.

elevated, keep an eye on the initial post, which is constantly being updated.
Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility. CNN's website is a little behind right now.

oops, I missed that one. sorry about that. yeah, I'll keep watching this thread and leave the news gathering to you experts..

ETA is an ethnic speratist group, much like the IRA. They have no real "training camps" per say, and are homegrown, mostly northern spain.

Doesn't look like them, way to organized and deadly. The level of resources and manpower used is HUGE.

This will be a tipping point, if AL Qaeda has claimed responsibility, than any other EU country may be next

The letter claiming responsibility from the Al Qaeda group...
also contained a threat to the US.

Okay news reports say it says they are 90% ready to attack america.

Do we really believe these idiots sitting around a cave hiding somewhere are really using a percentage base ratings system to determine their readiness for attacks? I am more inclined to believe that a majority of them cannot even read or wipe their own butts neverless do statistical analysis on the prepardness for an attack. That one line to me makes the whole document seem a bit suspect.

Originally posted by Dreamstone
ETA is an ethnic speratist group, much like the IRA. They have no real "training camps" per say, and are homegrown, mostly northern spain.

Doesn't look like them, way to organized and deadly. The level of resources and manpower used is HUGE.

Basque seperatists dont go for these sort of targets anyways, I have to agree here.

Anyone note the date? March the 11th. Exactly half a year after September the 11th. I wonder......just a coincidence?

This is what I truly find scary, the simplicty of it all is frightening.

A total of 10 bombs, nearly all in backpacks, exploded in a 15-minute span along nine miles of the commuter line � running from Santa Eugenia to the Madrid hub of Atocha � killing 190 people and injuring more than 1,240, Interior Minister Angel Acebes said.

From the letter:
"We bring the good news to Muslims of the world that the expected 'Winds of Black Death' strike against America is now in its final stage...90 percent (ready) and God willing near," the letter said.

Winds of black death is a clear reference to a chemical of biological weapon.

Another reason Arab Terror has to be behind this. The number of fatalities points away from ETA seeing as they shy away from killing many people at once.

ETA had been blamed for more than 800 deaths in its decades-old campaign to carve an independent Basque homeland out of territory straddling northern Spain and southwest France.

Until now, the highest death toll in an ETA attack was 21 killed in a supermarket blast in Barcelona in 1987

These guys are simmilar to other Euro terror groups like the Red Brigad or IRA where they try to disrupt daily events but not kill scores of people at once, the sheer brutality of this attack would lead my finger to point towards more Islamic Fundamentalists.

ETA are extreme left wing, they're basically militant communists, they prefer to kill officials, police and anyone except the ordinary "workers"

This isn't exactly Kosher with their principles.

Originally posted by Nerdling
Winds of black death is a clear reference to a chemical of biological weapon.

And in the US March/April are the windiest months, I guess the best months to have a reasonable assurance it would spread far.

Originally posted by nativeokie

Originally posted by Nerdling
Winds of black death is a clear reference to a chemical of biological weapon.

And in the US March/April are the windiest months, I guess the best months to have a reasonable assurance it would spread far.

A very good point, what about Chicago " The Windy City" whilst we're at it

Optimum conditions for biological and chemical weapons are temperate air, windspeeds of 8mph, dry low pressure fronts and cloudy/overcast conditions.

Funny I just posted about the sears tower being sold, wondered if it was next.