Al Qaeda influence on Spanish elections

Madrid (AsiaNews/BBC) – The Spanish elections have revealed a startling change of government after the terrorist attacks Thursday which left  200 dead and 1500 wounded. The Socialist Party has gained control of the government, with 43% of the vote, to the Popular Party's 38%.  The United Left came away with 5 %, the Catalan Regional Party 3  %, and the Republican Left of Catalonia 2.5%.   77% of  Spain's eliglible voters turned-out for the elections. Many people who were not planning to vote decided to take action after the attacks on March 11th. 

"It's the first time I voted. I feel very happy because the government had to change—because of the Iraq war"  a Spanish law student said.  Additionally, criticism of how the government initially began the investigation after the bombings may have cost them the re-election.

BBC's Chris Morris commented that Spain's last minute shift in favour of the Socialist party raises a disturbing thought: If al Qaeda was responsible for Thursday's attacks, it appears to have a significant influence in changing the government of a leading Western democracy.

Sunday morning brought new evidence of al Qaeda's involvement when a video-tape was found in a trash bin after an anonymous tip-off at a Madrid television station. On it, an Arabic-speaking man said the attacks were revenge for "Spain's collaboration with the criminals Bush and his allies."

The Spanish government backed the US-led invasion of Iraq last year despite polls which showed 90% opposition from the Spanish public.  "If it is al-Qaeda, then it means clearly it's looking for targets anywhere in Europe, anyone who might have supported the US war in Iraq," said al-Qaeda expert Maha Azzam of London's Royal Institute of International Affairs.

The attacks on Madrid have caused increased national security as the other allied countries, Britain, Italy, Poland, Australia and Japan, brace themselves for further acts of al-Qaeda's revenge.

• spain
• general
• elections
• terrorism