Spain and the politics of terror
Evidence from the Madrid Bombings trial expose political lies
As the Madrid bombing trial reveals new evidence, questions are asked about the conduct of the last Government and its politics onthe use of terror
Train Bombs
Since March 2002 when the outgoing conservative government - Partido Popular - declared that the culprits of the Madrid train bombings were the Basque terrorist organisation ETA, Spain has been divided between those that believed this line of thought, or those that believed that the crime had been perpetrated by an Islamic terrorist group.
The train bombs occurred just days before the 2004 General Election in Spain, a turbulent time in which the country was already divided over the decision by the Partido Popular to participate in the US led Iraq Invasion. The train bombs looked to many like a retaliation to this hugely unpopular decision, an interpretation that the Government of the day wished to avoid at all costs. Therefore, they insisted that there had been an ETA involvement, but as it immediately became obvious from Police findings that the bombings were the result of an Islamic organisation, the Partido Popular (PP) were accused of covering up the truth for their own political reasons. Consequently they lost the election two days later.
Conspiracy Theory
However, in order to undermine the new Socialist government, the PP began a conspiracy theory that the bombs had not just been the work of Islamic groups alone, but had in fact been a joint enterprise by both terrorist groups to destabilise their party in government. Despite the lack of any evidence, the PP insisted over the next three years that this interpretation of the facts had been correct and that the present government had misinformed the public as to the true identity of those involved in the bombings. The Partido Popular began to conduct campaigns demanding the truth, organised street marches against the governments peace talks with ETA and even implying that the both ETA and the government had worked together to remove the PP from their rightful position in governement.
This week in Spain, the trial of those that were accused of the Madrid bombings has at last begun, and it appears that the official reports - hundreds of pages in seven huge volumes - from the National Police, and the Guardia Civil to the Basque police all concur that: ¨There exists no type of link, relationship, contact (operative or not) between the terrorist organisation ETA or any of its members and any Islamic Terrorist organisations or any of its members.¨
Truth-v-Electoral success
Despite these reports, the Partido Popular have maintained their conspiratorial theories despite the release of a poll this week for the radio staion Cadena Sur in which 59% believe they have expressly lied over this issue.
It is a sad moment in any democratic country when politicians can, through the simple repetition of half truths and innuendos undermine a peace process, challenge the legitimate status of an elected government and divide a people for their own political agenda. Truth and honesty, once again take a back seat in the campaign for electoral success. Perhaps, with an internal debate amongst the PP and their long overdue self examination can this country reach out once more towards peace and reconciliation within its territories, and wherever debate and disagreement occur let it be part of the forging of unity rather than the disintegration of democracy.
