The Insider: Daily Terrorism Report

Mar. 11, 2004 -- — Eleven bombs exploded in commuter trains and stations in Madrid at the height of rush hour this morning killing more than 190 and wounding over 1,000, marking the deadliest terrorist attack on Spanish soil. 13 backpacks, each packed with roughly 25 pounds of the explosive Titadine were left under seats on four trains as they were entering four stations in Madrid. In a statement released shortly after the attack, Spanish Interior Minister Angel Acebes said the main focus of the investigation is the Basque separatist group ETA. The explosives used in the attack, Titadine, have been used by the group in previous attacks, and a van carrying Titadine was intercepted on February 29 when two suspected ETA members were arrested.

However, today's attacks were on a scale beyond anything ETA has done in the past. This has raised speculation as to whether ETA was in fact behind the attacks.

A new development since the morning has raised even further questions — the Spanish interior minister said that another van was found this morning east of Madrid, in the town of Alcana de Henares, along the commuter route to the main train station in Madrid. The van contained seven detonators and an Arabic tape with verses from the Islamic holy book, the Quran. The disclosure fueled speculation that Islamic extremists could have been involved.

TERROR IN SPAIN

At Least 190 Dead in Madrid Terror Blast

At least 190 killed in Madrid train station terror attacks, worst ever in Spain; 1,240 wounded. (AP)

Spain Says ETA Responsible for Madrid Train Blasts

Armed Basque separatists ETA were responsible for a series of bombs which tore through rush-hour trains on Thursday ... "It is absolutely clear that the terrorist organisation ETA was seeking an attack with wide repercussions," Acebes told a news conference, dismissing speculation that any other group could be involved. (Reuters)

Experts Unsure About ETA Involvement

A spokesman for the Spanish government laid the blame for the series of bombs that tore through packed Madrid commuter trains on Thursday morning in the hands of Basque separatist group ETA. But many experts had doubts, and the possibility of a link to al Qaeda or other Islamist groups has been raised. (Aftenposten — Norway)

Spain: Van, Detonators, Quran Tapes Found

Spain says Arabic-language tape, van with detonators found in Madrid rail blast probe. (AP)

Purported Qaeda Letter Claims Spain Bombings-Paper

A letter purporting to come from Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network claimed responsibility for train bombings in Spain on Thursday, calling them strikes against "crusaders," a London-based Arabic newspaper said. (Reuters)

Note: The credibility of the claim is doubted since the same group claimed responsibility for a number of other operations in the past, including the blackout in the U.S. and the power failure in London.

Chronology — ETA's History and Major Attacks

Following is a chronology of the Basque separatist group ETA and some of its major attacks. (Reuters)

France Tightens Spain Border Security

Border police implemented tighter security controls Thursday between France and Spain following an attack on three Madrid train stations that killed at least 170 people and wounded hundreds. (AP)

THE WAR ON TERROR

INVESTIGATIONS

The Hunt for Al Qaeda

Tribesmen Asked to Hand Over Seven Al Qaeda Harborers

Authorities warned tribesmen on Wednesday of harsh action if they failed to hunt and hand over seven people wanted for providing shelter to al Qaeda members in remote areas bordering Afghanistan. (Hi Pakistan)

FATA MPs to Protest Wana Operation

Parliamentarians from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) met in Islamabad and decided to protest against the government's operation in Wana, member of National Assembly from South Waziristan Agency Maulana Abdul Malik told Daily Times on Wednesday. (Daily Times — Pakistan)

U.S. May Up High-Tech Ante in Bin Laden Hunt

The Pentagon is considering beefing up the already enhanced technology U.S. forces are using to search for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden along the mountainous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. (CNN)

U.K.

Britain Frees Ex-Guantanamo Detainees

Police say they have released all five ex-Guantanamo detainees who were returned to Britain. (AP)

Algeria

U.S. Search for Qaeda Turns to Algeria

U.S. special forces are hunting for Islamic militants linked to al Qaeda along Algeria's southern border with Mali in a little-known military operation aimed at destroying a key North African recruiting hub for Osama bin Laden's global terrorist network, according to US and Algerian officials. (Boston Globe)

Saudi Arabia, Yemen

Sanaa, Riyadh to Exchange More Terror Suspects

Report says detained terror suspects to be exchanged are accused in various terrorist, security cases. (Middle East Online)

Malaysia

Malaysia's Official Rights Body Backs Detained Terror Suspects

Malaysia's state-backed human rights watchdog has thrown its support behind 16 detained alleged Islamic militants who have been on hunger strike for 11 days to press the government to charge or release them. (AFP)

LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS

United States

Court Orders Deportation of Somali Man Investigated for Possible Terror Links

An immigration court ordered the deportation of a Somali refugee who was investigated for possible links to terrorism — a connection his family denies. (AP)

Indonesia

U.S. Opposes Release of Indonesian Cleric

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge yesterday expressed dismay that Indonesia's best-known militant cleric is to be freed early from prison next month, saying the United States is convinced he had "intense and deep" involvement in terror attacks. (AP)

Indonesian Official: Bashir May Face New Terrorism Trial

Militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir may be tried again if new evidence emerges linking him to terror attacks, an Indonesian official said. (ABC. net — Australia)

Kuwait

Court Postpones Al Qaeda Suspects' Case

A Kuwaiti court postponed the case of four men suspected of belonging to al Qaeda to the 14th of April. The men, who are accused of planning attacks against a foreign country, were released on bail last month but ordered to stay inside the country. (Asharq Al Awsat)

COUNTER TERRORISM

United States

Report: Terror Alerts Need Work

The government is failing to adequately notify local authorities to changes in the nation's terror alert level, according to a preliminary congressional report obtained by The Associated Press. (AP)

U.S., Thailand Sign for Computer Security System to Identify Terror Suspects

The United States and Thailand have pledged closer co-operation in the war on terrorism with a new border security system, as U.S. Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge paid a visit to the kingdom. (AFP)

ON THE WEB

Internet Sites Discuss Attempts to Convince Saudi Terror Suspects to Surrender

A number of fundamentalist Internet sites said some of the "reformist clerics" called on Saudi terror suspects on the list of 26 most wanted to surrender to security forces. The attempts, according to the sites, were not successful. (Asharq Al Awsat)

THE WAR IN IRAQ

Two Iraqi Translators Killed in Basra

Two Iraqi translators for British army are killed by gunmen in Basra, officials say. (AP)

U.S. to Retain Iraq Security Role

A U.S. general will be in charge of all military forces in Iraq even after the end of the occupation, a senior British official said on Wednesday. (BBC)

Pentagon Pressed for Iraq War's Costs

Pressed to estimate the cost of future operations in Iraq, the Pentagon has repeatedly said it is just too hard to do. (AP)

Pentagon Pays Iraq Group, Supplier of Incorrect Spy Data

The Pentagon is paying $340,000 a month to the Iraqi political organization led by Ahmad Chalabi, a member of the interim Iraqi government who has close ties to the Bush administration, for "intelligence collection" about Iraq, according to Defense Department officials. (NY Times)

Sons of Saddam Had Fled to Syria

Two sons of Saddam Hussein escaped to Syria after the U.S. invasion of Iraq a year ago but were ultimately expelled by the Syrian regime, former and current Bush administration officials say. (USA Today)

Contract Flaws in Iraq Cited

Rebuilding tasks suffer from poor oversight and questionable spending, agencies find. A delay in equipping the security forces draws criticism. (LA Times)

Military Families vs. the War Organized opposition is Small, but some see it as historic. (Washington Post)

ANALYSIS & OPINION

Madrid Blasts: Who Is To Blame?

The Spanish authorities have had no hesitation in attributing the deadly explosions in Madrid to the Basque separatist group Eta. (BBC)

Terror and Transatlantic Politics

The American and British governments are planning a joint training exercise to respond to a major, coordinated terrorist attack on both countries. (Washington Post)

Afghanistan: The Spring Trap is Sprung

In a clear indication that the spring offensive against suspected Taliban and al Qaeda fighters on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border will be launched soon, United States Secretary of State Colin Powell is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on March 17, a visit that comes on the heels of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's own journey to Islamabad last week. (Asia Times)

Iraqis, in It to Win It

Measured against the incessant bad news from Iraq in recent months — political antagonisms and insurgent violence — the good news last Monday was a needed respite: Iraqis agreed to approve an interim constitution, formally known as the Transitional Administrative Law, or Basic Law for short, guaranteeing citizens broad individual rights and preparing their nation for self-government. (Arab News)

Iraq's Upstream Development: A Look Ahead As with the rest of the economy, reality has finally caught up with the perilous state of Iraq's oil industry. The euphoric prospect of Iraqi oil flooding world markets soon after the fall of former leader Saddam Hussein, or oil revenue being more than enough to meet post-war reconstruction costs, is now forgotten. (Daily Star – Lebanon)

One Year Later: A Rebound In Iraq

Rocket attacks. Political and sectarian strife. Given all the turmoil in Iraq, it's easy to miss what's going right there one year after the war: economic recovery. (CS Monitor)

The Insider Daily Terrorism Report (DTR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to international terrorism and the war in Iraq. The DTR is edited from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman, and Brinda Adhikari of the ABCNEWS Investigative Unit. The outside views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.