Two million people demonstrate in Madrid against bomb attacks

Millions of people have crowded Spanish streets to protest the Madrid bomb attacks that killed 199 people.

The Irish presidency of the European Union also asked the 15 member states to observe three minutes of silence on Monday to mourn the victims of Thursday's bombings.

The call came as two million people took to the streets of Madrid to protest the attacks in which 10 bombs tore through three stations at the start of the morning rush hour, injuring more than 1,400.

The Spanish government initially blamed the armed Basque separatist group ETA, but the group has denied carrying out the bombings.

There are growing fears the attacks could have been carried out by the Islamic Al-Qaeda network in retaliation for Spain's role in the US-led occupation of Iraq.
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okay, it looks more and more like al-queda. the eta has categorically denied it was them, and al-queda representatives are taking credit on this one. Europe may see a sea change in terms of support for the war on terror. interesting. something from the beeb, of all places:

Europe rethinks war on terror
By Barnaby Mason
BBC diplomatic correspondent


Newspapers in Spain and other European countries are describing the devastating bomb attacks in Madrid as Europe's 11 September - or 11-M, standing for 11 March.

Many Europeans share Spain's shock
America's war on terror has been seen differently on this side of the Atlantic. So how far will that change now?

The suicide hijackings directed at New York and Washington came as a huge shock to Americans. Before 2001, their sense of invulnerability at home was virtually intact.

In contrast, Europeans have lived with the threat of terrorism for many years - from left-wing extremists in Germany in the 1970s, from neo-fascist militants in Italy, from the IRA in Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.

European governments have taken extra security measures in response to America's 9/11 and their peoples have become accustomed to that.

Shock

The Madrid bombings are not on the scale of 9/11. But they are marked by the same ruthless savagery and intent to inflict maximum harm.

Governments across Europe are now rethinking their strategies

That is undoubtedly a shock to people in Europe - even if the attacks were the work of Eta, it is a new Eta.

As the German newspaper Die Welt put it, what happened was the "al-Qaeda-isation" of European terrorism.

Public opinion may therefore be readier to accept more draconian security and restrictions on civil liberties, though that cannot be taken for granted.

There has been much criticism of Britain's decision in anti-terrorism legislation to opt out of a section of the European Convention on Human Rights - the only country to do so.

Response

Governments across Europe are now rethinking their strategies.

For example, a huge operation was already under way with international involvement to protect the Olympic Games in Athens in August.

Now the Greek government says the plan will be strengthened. It has asked Nato to help with security, for example in aerial surveillance.

The French government is calling in the military to reinforce police security for public transport.

The Italians have told the police and local authorities to tighten their precautions.

On a European level, some will make the case for more intense co-operation against suspected terrorists through the police agency Europol, and other EU institutions, as a matter of routine.
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who knows where this all may lead. europe shares a common security border and loads of algerian terrorists are infiltrating the spanish shores. yikes. time to get a little tough wouldn't you say? i think we're all in together now.

yo de villepan! are we all europeans today? maybe we're just all spaniards on a day like today.