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alva
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Republic of Flanders
Sep 2001
time: 06:21
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quote:
Madrid remembers train bombings
The relative of a victim of the Madrid bombings runs her hand over a memorial
Spain is preparing to mark the first anniversary of the Madrid train bombings in which 191 people were killed.
Church bells across the capital will toll at 0737, the exact moment when the first of a series of co-ordinated blasts hit commuter-packed trains.
The country will observe a five-minute silence at midday.
World leaders have been gathering in the city to draw up a strategy to fight global terrorism.
The explosions came three days before a general election, in which the Socialists ousted the right-wing Popular Party of then-Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.
The government initially blamed Basque separatists Eta for the attacks, an error which analysts said was partly responsible for the Socialists' unexpected win.
Tough day coming
The BBC's Katya Adler in Madrid says many of the survivors of the attacks, which injured 1,800 people, are planning to avoid official ceremonies.
Their memories, she says, are still too fresh.
Railway inspector Francisco Javier Zamarra, who works at Madrid's Atocha station told Reuters news agency that he expected Friday to be difficult.
"I'll try to overcome it but we'll see. It's been tough for 365 days. This day in particular will be a hard one," he said.
Ten bombs exploded on four trains in the early hours of 11 March 2004 in what Spaniards refer to as "our 11 September".
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by a Moroccan cell with links to al-Qaeda, and most of those arrested are Moroccan citizens.
Spanish investigators say they have now clarified key aspects of the attack in an enquiry that has spanned six countries.
'Immeasurable grief'
More than 100 people have been detained and 22 of them remain in prison awaiting trial.
The public prosecutor in the case says there is no doubt that Islamic militants were behind the bombings.
A man runs to board a commuter train at El Pozo station in Madrid, Spain.
The country has also set up a centre to co-ordinate anti-terrorism activities, bringing together different security forces and agencies in Spain.
At the anti-terror summit, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said that terrorism must be outlawed in all its forms.
"It should be clearly stated, by all possible moral and political authorities, that terrorism is unacceptable under any circumstances and in any culture," Mr Annan said.
Organisers planned the conference to coincide with the anniversary of the Madrid attacks to "honour the courageous people of Madrid who have suffered immeasurable grief since the 11 March attacks and set out a way forward". |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4338727.stm
A year already.
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embalmer42
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The Great State Of Insanity
Jan 2000
time: 05:21
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All times are GMT. The time now is 05:21.
Apolyton Time is 00:21. |
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11-03-2005 10:48
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