2004 Madrid Train Bombings

By: Evan Bjelland

Summary

The Madrid train bombings (also known in Spain as 11-M) were nearly simultaneous, coordinated bombings against the Cercanías commuter train system of Madrid, Spain on the morning of March 11, 2004 – three days before Spain's general elections and two and a half years after the September 11 attacks in the United States.

Who Committed?

The attacks, the deadliest against civilians on European soil since the 1988 Lockerbie airplane bombing, were initially suspected to be the work of the Basque separatist militant group ETA. This was soon proved incorrect as evidence mounted against an extreme Islamist militant group loosely tied to, but thought to be working in the name of, al-Qaida.

Motivations

Many in Spain and around the world saw the attacks as retaliation for Spain’s participation in the war in Iraq, where about 1,400 Spanish soldiers were stationed at the time. The attacks took place two days before a major Spanish election, in which anti-war Socialists swept to power. The new government, led by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, removed Spanish troops from Iraq, with the last leaving the country in May 2004.

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Results

The explosions killed 191 people and wounded 1,800.

Response

The official investigation by the Spanish judiciary found that the attacks were directed by an al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist cell, although no direct al-Qaeda participation has been established. Though they had no role in the planning or implementation, the Spanish miners who sold the explosives to the terrorists were also arrested.

Works Cited

"Bing." 2004+Madrid+train+bombings. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

"Bing." 2004+Madrid+train+bombings. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

"Madrid Train Bombings of 2004 | Terrorist Attacks, Spain." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015

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