Question

Research on Madrid 2004 Bombing

In March, 2004, commuter trains in Madrid, Spain were attacked, and terrorism was suspected. Research this incident and prepare a report that describes the following:

Which group or groups were responsible for the attack? Describe how this was investigated.

How did the group carry out the attack? Provide a detailed description of the attack.

Why did the attackers choose this particular target? What did they hope to achieve?

How did investigators identify the attackers? Was anyone punished for the attack?

Conclude your report by explaining whether the group achieved its goal.

Support your responses with examples.

Answer 1

Research report:

Title: Terrorist attack in 11^th March 2004 in commuter trains in Madrid, Spain: an exploratory study.

Introduction: In the morning busy hours in Madrid, Spain, there was serial bomb blast in commuter trains. This attack caused death of 191 people and around 2000 injured. It was the deadliest or worst terrorist attack after 1988 Lockerbie airplane attack. There were 10 bombs placed in the trains and 7 out of them were blasted on that day. It was a planned attack just before general elections in Spain.

Responsibility of the attack: initially it was thought that Basque separatist organization ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) is responsible for the attack but when Arabic tape with Koranic quotes found in the van of a suspect, the responsible attacker changed to Islamic group Al-Quida. On 14 March 2004, Abu Dujana al-Afghani, spokesman for al-Qaeda, appeared in a videotape claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Investigation of attack: investigation carried out between the suspects of Madrid bombing and Al-Quida. And Spanish police found that a loose group of Moroccan, Syrian, and Algerian Muslims and two Guardia Civil and Spanish police informantswere suspected of having carried out the attacks but they did not found any evidence against Al-Quida. And Al-Quida felt proud for this incidence. Another unsuccessful act was also carried out on 2^nd April 2004 in which a device Goma -2 with wires was found on high speed train track that took investigation other way and shortly after this incident, police identified an apartment in Leganés, south of Madrid, as the base of operations for the individuals suspected of being the perpetrators of the Madrid and AVE attacks. The suspected militants, headed by Jamal Zougam, Sarhane Abdelmaji "the Tunisian" and Jamal Ahmidan "the Chinese", were trapped inside the apartment by a police raid on the evening of Saturday 3 April. At 9:03 pm, when the police started to assault the premises, the militants committed suicide by setting off explosives, killing themselves and one of the police officers. On 11 April 2006, Judge Juan del Olmo charged 29 suspects for their involvement in the train bombings.

Actual conduct of the attack: it was found that 13 improvised explosive devices were placed in the trains and they were detonated by mobile phones. These devices were carried in backpacks and brought aboard in the trains.

Attacker’s target: attackers target was general population of Spain because of involvement of Spain in Iraq War. The attacks took place two days before a major Spanish election, in which anti-war Socialists swept to power. And they choose morning hours when commuting is maximum and maximum casualty can be caused to get maximum success in other way.

Attackers’ achievement: They hope to achieve the removal of Spanish troops from the Iraq.

Investigators identify the attackers on the basis of explosive material evidences, tape, and suicidal suspects.

Punishment: Yes after a five-month-long investigation and trail in October 2007, 21 people were convicted, although five of them, including Rabei Osman, the alleged ringleader, were later acquitted.

Conclusion: This was a major terrorist attack that caused a huge loss to human lives and nation. It was investigated at every level but still controversies are there mainly over the events that took place between bombing and elections.