Acebes says the tape's authenticity could not be confirmed immediately

MADRID, March 14 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Spain’s Interior Minister Angel Acebes said early Sunday, March 14, Al-Qaeda network has claimed anew responsibility for Madrid’s train blasts in a videotaped message. 

Speaking at a hastily called press conference, Acebes said the tape was found in a wastebasket on the outskirts of Madrid after a Spanish television received a call specifying the whereabouts of the tape, Reuters news agency said. 

The interior minister, however, said that the tape’s authenticity could not be immediately confirmed.

On the tape, a man claiming to be the military spokesman of Al-Qaeda, naming himself as Abu Dujana Al-Afghani and speaking in a Moroccan accent said the attacks came in reprisal for Spain’s staunchest support for the United States in its invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. 

“If you don't stop your injustices, more blood will flow and these attacks are very little compared with what may happen with what you call terrorism,” Reuters quoted the man as saying, according to a Spanish transcript provided by the Interior Ministry.

The statement referred specifically to Iraq and Afghanistan, both countries where Spain has sent troops.  

Acebes said that three Moroccans and two Indians were being questioned in connection with the blasts.

He said all five people were detained on suspicion of falsifying and selling a card for a mobile telephone that was found in a backpack containing a bomb that had failed to go off during the attacks.

Hours after Thursday’s attacks, which killed at least 200 people and injured up to 1500 others, London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported receiving an e-mail purportedly admitting responsibility on behalf of “Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades/Al-Qaeda”. 

Distraction

Analysts clearly keep the accusing finger at the ETA separatists, saying the van found in the town of Alcala de Henares -- where three of the four explosions originated -- containing an Islamic tape and seven detonators could be rather a distraction. 

On Friday, March 12, nearly eight million Spaniards -- more than a quarter of the entire population -- held nationwide rallies to protest against all forms of terrorism.

World Muslims condemned Saturday, March 13, the Madrid blasts, sending it clear that killing civilians is forbidden in their religion regardless of where or who carry out the attacks.

Polls Open

Meanwhile, Spain's 34 million voters are poised to vote in a general election Sunday, March 14.

Polls were to open at 9:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) Sunday and with emotions running high turnout was expected to far exceed the 69.98 percent at the last poll in 2000, when the Popular Party (PP) won an absolute majority under departing Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.

Aznar is standing down voluntarily from frontline politics with his party now in some disarray following the blasts, which analysts expected to act as a catalyst for persuading record numbers of people to cast their ballot.

Aznar's successor as PP leader, Mariano Rajoy, is pitted against main opposition Socialist Party (PSOE) leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

opinion polls ahead of the vote had shown Aznar's rightwing party with a lead of some four percent over the Socialists.