Madrid train stops
The train attacks in the Spanish capital Madrid were a series of ten bomb explosions caused by Islamist terrorists on the morning of March 11, 2004 (colloquially abbreviated to the numeronym 11-M in Spain ), three days before the Spanish parliamentary elections . 191 people died and 2,051 were injured, 82 of them seriously.
Three weeks later, on April 3, 2004, the alleged ringleader Serhane Ben Abdelmajid blew himself up during a raid in a suburb of Madrid. Six of his accomplices and one policeman died and 15 policemen were injured. At the end of April 2004, the attacks were almost completely resolved. The suspect Jamal Ahmidan could also be identified among the dead terrorists.
The attacks
procedure
| Death toll
by nationality |
|
|---|---|
 Spain
|
140 |
 Romania
|
16 |
 Ecuador
|
6th |
 Poland
|
4th |
 Peru
|
4th |
 Bulgaria
|
4th |
 Morocco
|
3 |
 Colombia
|
2 |
.svg){kind=small} Honduras
|
2 |
 Dominican Republic
|
2 |
 Ukraine
|
2 |
 Brazil
|
1 |
 Chile
|
1 |
 Cuba
|
1 |
 Philippines
|
1 |
 Guinea-Bissau
|
1 |
 France
|
1 |
The explosions occurred that Thursday morning between 7:39 a.m. and 7:42 a.m. local time .
Ten explosive devices exploded in the crowded passenger cars of suburban trains of the Cercanías Madrid . Three more bombs were supposed to detonate after a delay , presumably to injure the emergency services who came to the rescue. The explosives were later detonated in a controlled manner, one of which is said to have had the strength to completely destroy Madrid's Atocha central station , which is very busy at rush hour . A suspicious car parked in front of the train station was also blown up in a controlled manner. As later became known, among the suitcases and bags stored in a police station was a brown backpack with another explosive device, which was supposed to be detonated by a mobile phone . The investigators were aware of the backpack when the mobile phone rang and were able to defuse the explosive device.
Two of the four trains did not explode in Atocha station ( see below ). One of the trains would have arrived at the station on schedule at the time of the detonation, but it was delayed and exploded on the track field about 500 meters from the platforms.
Rescue workers reached the accident sites after a few minutes. In view of the scale of the attacks, a treatment center had to be set up in the Daoiz y Velarde sports complex. Operation Jaula (“cage”) was ordered at 8:00 am: traffic to and from the city of Madrid was cut off to prevent possible terrorists from escaping. The traffic on metro line 1 was stopped, the other two long-distance train stations in Madrid besides Atocha, Chamartín and Príncipe Pío, were closed.
The attacks occurred three days before the Spanish parliamentary elections in 2004 . In Spain, the security measures had therefore already been increased.
Places of explosions
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Seven of the ten explosions occurred in or near Atocha train station . This is the central station of the Spanish capital for long-distance trains from the south of the country as well as for regional trains and the most important node in the Cercanías network. It was rebuilt in 1992. Three bombs exploded on train 21431, which was in the station (the first at 7:37 a.m., two more immediately one after the other at 7:38 a.m.). At 7:39 am four explosive devices exploded in the delayed train 17305, around 800 meters from the train station on Calle de Téllez.
Two explosive devices detonated on train 21435 at 7:38 am as it left the El Pozo del Tío Raimundo station . Another explosion occurred on train 21713 at Santa Eugenia station . The stations Santa Eugenia and El Pozo del Tío Raimundo are two S-Bahn stations in working-class districts in the southeast of the city. All trains ran on the Alcalá de Henares - Atocha route, one of the most important suburban connections in Madrid, which is very popular during rush hour. Of the 191 fatalities, 34 died at Atocha train station, 64 on Calle de Téllez, 67 at El Pozo del Tío Raimundo train station and 16 at Santa Eugenia train station; the remaining ten died in hospitals.
The search for the authors
The ETA in the political crosshairs
Soon after the first reports of the explosions, there was speculation about the originator. The Spanish government (Cabinet Aznar II, PP) named ETA as a suspect; the resolution of the UN Security Council also named ETA as the perpetrator at the urging of the Spanish government. This thesis was particularly nourished by the Spanish government, as an attack by radical Islamist groups could have sparked renewed criticism of the Spanish deployment in Iraq . Parliamentary elections were held in Spain three days after the attack; At least that long the public image of the ETA attack should be preserved.
The attack resembled the pattern of ETA activities in previous years: on Christmas Eve 2003 an attack on Chamartín train station in Madrid was thwarted, and on February 29, 2004 an ETA commando carrying half a ton of explosives in a truck Arrested on the way to Madrid. In addition, several European intelligence agencies unanimously reported that ETA wanted to change its pace. This should explain the non-ETA handwriting of the attack.
In the past, ETA had carried out multiple attacks in Spain before elections. On the day of the parliamentary elections, intelligence circles reported that cooperation between al-Qaeda and a radical ETA cell could not be ruled out. This thesis, launched by circles close to the government, was the last attempt to discredit ETA among voters. The Aznar (PP) government cracked down on ETA; those who suspected the ETA were hoping to get votes for the PP.
Al-Qaeda comes under suspicion
The first doubts about the representation arose and there were demonstrations against the government (see chapter Reactions and Consequences). Arnaldo Otegi , the spokesman for the banned ETA-affiliated party Herri Batasuna , spoke up. He denied the responsibility of ETA and instead accused Islamist groups of the attacks.
The London newspaper Al-Quds al-arabi reported on the evening of March 11th that it had an alleged letter of confession from the Abu-Hafs-El-Masri Brigades (sub-organization of al-Qaeda) in the form of an email . In the letter, Spain is named as one of the most important members of the " Alliance in the War against Islam ". For this reason, al-Qaeda has now struck in Madrid. According to US intelligence experts, Abu Hafs El Masri has confessed to acts that were not carried out by her in the past, such as the large-scale power outages in the New York region . The organization is classified as a group of free riders .
On the same evening, the Spanish Interior Minister Angel Acebes announced at a press conference that a van with eight detonators and a tape with Arabic verses from the Koran had been found east of Madrid, in Alcalá de Henares , which was stolen on February 28 . However, it cannot be ruled out that ETA supporters may have deliberately left behind Arabic-language material to mislead investigators.
At 6 p.m. on March 12, a person reported on behalf of ETA to the left-wing Basque daily Gara denying ETA's involvement in the attacks. A short time later, the same caller allegedly answered the Basque TV station ETB . Both are media in which ETA has previously acknowledged acts of terrorism. Meanwhile , the Spanish intelligence service Centro Nacional de Inteligencia believed it was certain that the crime was committed by Islamist terrorists.
On the evening of March 13, the Spanish Interior Minister Angel Acebes announced the arrest of five men, three Moroccans and two Indians. The arrests are believed to be related to the cell phone that was found on one of the unexploded explosive devices. Two other suspects were still being questioned.
The search takes concrete shape
On the night of March 14th, a videotape was found on which the alleged military spokesman for al-Qaeda announced that al-Qaeda was behind the attacks. The authenticity of the tape was checked and later confirmed.
On March 14, 2004, Home Secretary Acebes announced that one of the arrested Moroccans had been linked to the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. The man identified as Jamal Zougam is one of 35 suspects against whom the Spanish investigating judge Baltasar Garzón brought charges last year.
On March 17, 2004, further details about the group of people who are being sought became known. The Spanish police were looking for at least 20 Moroccans who were supposed to belong to a radical Islamic organization called the Islamic Combat Group of Morocco (GICM) . The GICM was founded in 1993 under a different name by veterans of the Afghanistan war in Pakistan and is financed by the al-Qaeda terrorist network.
On March 21, it became known that the explosives probably came from an Asturian mine.
Towards the end of March a trail led to Germany. One of the arrested Moroccans lived legally in Germany for years; the authorities assessed him as extremist. He has now been released.
Deadly raid in Leganés
On the evening of April 3, there was an exchange of fire with the alleged perpetrators of the attacks in the Madrid suburb of Leganés . When the Spanish police tried to storm the apartment where the terrorists were staying at around 9 p.m., the ringleader blew himself up, killing six of his accomplices and one policeman and injuring 15 other policemen. Only five of the accomplices could be identified, the name of one of the dead could not be determined. It is believed that five to eight other suspects were able to flee.
The bloody crime of March 11th is now considered to be almost solved. Al-Qaeda threatened Spain with further terrorist attacks.
Completion of the investigation
At the end of the two-year investigation, however, it was found that there were no direct or identifiable links between the terrorists and al-Qaeda . According to the final report, the terrorist group was internationally organized and followed the numerous requests in video messages from al-Qaida. The military spokesman for al-Qaeda, who stated that al-Qaeda was responsible for the attacks, was confirmed as a member of the terrorist organization. However, it is assumed by the investigators that al-Qaida gladly, since the attacks fit into the announced scheme of the organization, took responsibility for them without being involved in the preparations.
In August 2005, the conservative Spanish newspaper El Mundo referred to an investigation report by the police, according to which a police officer from Syria allegedly wired the cell phones to the explosives, because the attackers did not have the necessary technical knowledge and did not have any equipment for them Tampering with the phones was found.
Reactions and consequences
Spain
In Spain the government declared a three-day state mourning on March 11th . The top candidate of the conservative People's Party Partido Popular , Mariano Rajoy , told the radio station Onda Cero the election campaign of his party to be over, all the other parties followed suit. The UEFA contrast, did not meet the request of three Spanish football clubs to postpone their games in the UEFA Cup on the evening of March 11.
Demonstrations in memory of the victims
| Number of participants ("We won't forget you") |
|
|---|---|
| Barcelona | 1,500,000 |
| Bilbao | 300,000 |
| Cadiz | 350,000 |
| Granada | 250,000 |
| Jaén | 120,000 |
| Logroño | 100,000 |
| Lugo | 40,000 |
| Madrid | 2,290,000 |
| Murcia | 300,000 |
| Orense | 65,000 |
| Oviedo | 350,000 |
| Santander | 85,000 |
| Santiago de Compostela | 100,000 |
| Zaragoza | 400,000 |
| Seville | 700,000 |
| Valencia | 400,000 |
| Vigo | 400,000 |
| Source: El Mundo | |
On March 12th, over eleven million people across Spain took part in demonstrations against the terrorist attacks and in memory of the victims. The demonstrations were to be carried out nationwide under the motto of Aznar's ruling party PP: Con las víctimas, con la Constitución, por la derrota del terrorismo (German: With the victims, with the constitution, for the defeat of terrorism ).
With the phrase con la Constitución , this slogan again contained a reference to the authorship of the separatist ETA and also represented a provocation for all parts of the country striving for more autonomy or independence (e.g. Catalonia and Basque Country). Therefore, the Changed official slogans accordingly. The large demonstration in Barcelona was a funeral march, but also angry protest against the conservative government and its information policy (the representatives of the PP had to leave the demonstration under police protection).
2,290,000 people gathered in Madrid. Numerous anti-ETA banners indicate that many of them followed the official representation of the ETA authorship. For the first time in history, Crown Prince Felipe , a member of the royal family, also took part in a protest march. It is estimated that more than a quarter of the total population of Spain was on the streets.
Demonstration against the information policy of the ruling party
A few days after the attack and the subsequent elections, the number of allegations against the Spanish government under Aznar increased, apparently by all means tried to hold the ETA responsible for the terrorist attacks. German security authorities were deliberately supplied with false information about the explosives used. There were also government instructions to the Spanish ambassadors to dispel any doubts about an ETA perpetrator.
On March 13, 2004, the eve of the Spanish parliamentary elections in 2004 , over a thousand demonstrators had gathered in front of the Partido Popular headquarters at 6 p.m. to demand clarification from the government after the attacks and to ask the government for their participation in Iraq. Criticize war. Protesters continued protests after five arrests were announced. Later, the leading candidate of the PP Mariano Rajoy appeared before the press and called the unauthorized demonstration anti-democratic and unique in the history of Spain. He accused the demonstrators of wanting to influence the election.
PSOE wins parliamentary elections
The attack shortly before the election and the old government's dubious information policy did not fail to have an effect. Turning all prognoses before the election upside down, the Socialists PSOE won the Spanish parliamentary elections on March 14, 2004. The Partido Popular , which ruled with an absolute majority at that time , lost significantly compared to the elections in 2000. The turnout was 77 percent and thus 8 percentage points above participation in the last election.
Europe and the United Nations
After the attacks became known, the European Parliament suspended its plenary session to observe a minute's silence . The President and Irish MEP Pat Cox called on the Spanish people to use the elections on Sunday to respond to terrorism .
In Germany, Federal President Johannes Rau expressed his condolences . Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse expressed his horror at the attacks on behalf of the German Bundestag. Federal Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer also expressed his horror and solidarity. In a telephone conversation with the Spanish Prime Minister, Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder offered German support in the search for the authors.
On Sunday, March 14, 2004, Federal Chancellor Schröder called the security cabinet for a special meeting, the necessity for this would result from the changed assessment of the situation as a result of the arrests. On the same day, Federal Interior Minister Otto Schily called on the German citizens to express their solidarity with the victims and their relatives by means of a three-minute silence on March 15th at 12 noon.
On the evening of March 11 the convicted Security Council of the United Nations the attacks, calling it a "threat to peace and security." The corresponding UN resolution 1530 was adopted unanimously. However, at the express request of Spanish diplomats, ETA was named as the perpetrator. The President of the Council of the European Union, Bertie Ahern , called on the member states of the European Union to observe the victims of the Madrid attacks with a minute's silence. The aim was to honor the victims and demonstrate solidarity with the Spanish people. The three minutes of silence took place on Monday, March 15th at 12:00 noon.
The attacks meant that the then Joint Situation Center (now INTCEN) of the EU was no longer interested exclusively in EU foreign policy affairs, but was also active inside the EU to counter terrorism. The Bern Club also intensified its activities, a cooperation between the intelligence services of the EU, Switzerland and Norway.
Commemoration 2006
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In Spain and the rest of the world, the victims were remembered with ceremonies, prayers and minutes of silence. In the Retiro Park in the Spanish capital, an Algerian girl and a Spanish boy laid a wreath in the “ Forest of Remembrance ” established a year earlier . A cypress or an olive tree was symbolically planted there for each of the 191 dead.
Far fewer people attended the commemorations in 2006 than on the first anniversary of the attacks. In the morning, a delegation from Morocco, where most of the alleged assassins come from, lit candles at Madrid's Atocha train station, laid flowers and expressed their solidarity with the victims and their families.
Further commemorative events by groups of victims took place during the day at the suburban train stations of El Pozo and Santa Eugenia. The Foundation for Victims of Terrorism organized a concert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra in Madrid on Friday . The victims of the London terrorist attacks on July 7, 2005 were also commemorated there.
Further investigation
The judge responsible, Juan del Olmo, was about to complete his preliminary investigations in March 2006. According to information from the judiciary, 30 to 40 of the 116 suspects were charged in court, including three of the alleged perpetrators (afp of March 11, 2006).
The process
The trial of 28 of these suspects began on February 15, 2007 under the strictest security precautions in the Madrid court. Seven defendants were charged with murder and membership in a terrorist organization , the other defendants were charged with membership or participation in a terrorist group, possession of weapons and other charges. The prosecutor's office called for more than 40,000 years in prison for the main defendants. The amount of the sentence was intended to make the consequences of the crime clear to the accused. The death penalty in Spain has been abolished in both civil and military law. On October 31, 2007, 21 of the 28 accused were convicted and seven were acquitted. Some of the defendants were formally sentenced to several thousand years, but Spanish law allows for a maximum serving period of 40 years.
conspiracy theories
The thesis of ETA authorship, which was widespread by the then conservative government (Aznar / PP) shortly after the attacks, and the modified thesis of cooperation between ETA and al-Qaida, are still widespread in right-wing conservative Spanish circles today (2015).
"After all, almost a third of citizens believe, according to surveys, in a conspiracy theory that the conservative People's Party (which was in the government during the attacks): It was not radical Islamists, but the Basque terrorist organization ETA who commissioned the attack." are some of the contradictions in which the Spanish police officers involved in the investigation at different times got entangled. These include the fact that the explosives in the trains and the explosives seized by the police in a car, which allegedly also belonged to the Islamic terrorists, were of different types.
With the connection between Islamist perpetrators and ETA, the theory also indirectly alludes to the government. The attack made it possible for the Socialist Party to win the 2004 elections. The Rodríguez Zapateros party would have benefited from the attacks in this way. On top of that, this suspicion is fed by the argument that the socialists had entered into secret peace negotiations with ETA in the run-up to the attacks.
See also
literature
- Just Kaplan: Rail Security and the Terrorist Threat. Council on Foreign Relations , March 12, 2007
swell
- ↑ Madrid bomb death toll lowered to 190. In: MSNBC.msn.com (one child died later)
- ^ Al Qaeda reivindica los atentados en un vídeo hallado en Madrid. In: elmundo.es (Spanish)
- ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3560603.stm
- ↑ Associoted Press: Madrid bombing probe finds no al-Qaeda link. In: msnbc.msn.com , March 9, 2006
- ↑ Terrorist attacks in Madrid: Policeman wired cell phones. In: n-tv.de
- ↑ Unos 11.4 millones de personas salen a las calles de toda España para protestar contra el terrorismo. In: El Mundo , March 14, 2004
- ↑ Resolution 1530 of the UN Security Council (PDF; 2.0 MB)
- ↑ dpa / dpaweb: European CIA. In: nachrichtentube.wordpress.com , January 16, 2011; accessed on March 4, 2014.
- ↑ Europeans have no secrets from one another. In: Deutsche Welle , January 16, 2014
- ^ Madrid bombings: the defendants. In: The Guardian , October 31, 2007
- ↑ Reuters: 21 convictions in the trial of the attacks in Madrid ( Memento of December 15, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (accessed October 31, 2007)
- ^ Spiegel Online
Web links
- Tagesschau dossier ( memento from October 1, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- Frankfurter Rundschau : Dossier “Terror against the West” ( Memento from September 18, 2004 in the Internet Archive ) - with articles about the attack, the terrorist discussion and al-Qaeda