March 11, 2004
Terrorist attack in Madrid
Sorry, but I'm too nervous. There have been at least three explosions in Madrid, I've heard two of them from my house.
I'm going out to try to help, if it's possible. This is quite sad, and extremely unfair. We don't deserve this.
Sorry for the noise.
Posted by Cesar Tardaguila Date: March 11, 2004 08:20 AMdude, be careful...youre good people for goin out and helping.
good luck.
Posted by: Rich Rodecker en: March 11, 2004 09:32 AMI just saw this on the bbc site http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3500452.stm
You're right. No one deserves to be terrorised like this.
Posted by: Nathan Pitman en: March 11, 2004 09:49 AMfor the Hispanoparlantes:
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2004/03/11/espana/1078988734.html
Posted by: ll en: March 11, 2004 10:31 AMit seems that everytime we have elections there is some kind of intervention from some terrorist group, honestly, smell really bad...we are learning too fast from Hollywood.
Posted by: h en: March 11, 2004 10:34 AMWell, this time it has been real.
It seems that there are about 60 people dead, a lot of hurted people. This has been happening for years, in Spain.
I've managed to get to the office after a one hour "walk" between the sound of the ambulances.
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 11, 2004 10:46 AMThe goverment is saying that there are 131 casualties ( I don't know if that's the right word ).
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 11, 2004 12:50 PMmy thoughts and prayers go to those affected by this act of cowardice and brutal disregard for morality. its a terrible thing to happen to anyone. stay safe. i think i agree with everyone that you are a hero for going out to try to help.
Posted by: ericd en: March 11, 2004 01:45 PMThanks, Eric, but I don't feel like a hero, and anyway, I finally couldn't help much. There have been no heroes here. Just 173 innocent people dead, and about 900 injured.
Anyway, it's a sad day. It's sad to see what a human being can do to another one. Sorry, but is really hard for me to express my feelings in english.
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 11, 2004 03:09 PMYes, a very sad day.
I can no longer tolerate those who hurt others, instead of being kind or, at worst, tolerating differences. Initation of force must stop; we can't support it any longer.
Lots more people were hurt by this than those who were physically injured....
Posted by: John Dowdell en: March 11, 2004 05:40 PMA horrible way to wake up. Its not right. I was in Spain when a minister and his wife were assassinated in the streets of Sevilla by Eta, and the people all got together and marched in a 'manifestation'... with white hands and doing a special clap. Being in the streets with the Spanish people when they all started clapping, is still the most moving thing I have experienced in my life. The passion of you and your people will carry you all through this, you are too strong for Eta to win 'their' war. I miss that passion. Best wishes to all the Spanish people, and I hope Eta wakes up and sees that violence will never help them win what they want.
Posted by: kevin en: March 11, 2004 08:05 PMThanks a lot, guys. I'm nearly crying. It's been a really hard day. I agree with most of the things you've said here. It's time to fight violence, but not with more violence, it's time to stand against those that kill, and it's time to defend ourselves, but without weapons, only with our passion.
I wish I could find the words....
Thanks. I really mean it
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 11, 2004 08:35 PMThanks Kevin for your kind words... But I would like that you had a better memory of our country, I mean in a better situation. Thanks again.
Posted by: Moisés en: March 11, 2004 10:00 PMI've noticed that many of the British and French pundits said on TV that this was an ETA operation. They are trying to delude themselves into thinking that this was an internal operation, limited to Spain.
But by now we know that this has been an al-Qaeda attack, part of the war radical Islam is conducting against Western Civilization. The Nazis, the communists and now the Islamists have all tried to destroy the West and have all failed.
Posted by: Toshi Bauser en: March 12, 2004 02:55 AMI wish your people all the best!
Posted by: Toshi Bauser en: March 12, 2004 02:58 AMThanks Toshi for your support, althought I don't agree with your opinions about a "western civilization" and its enemies. But maybe this is not the moment to discuss it.
Thanks again for you support
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 12, 2004 07:58 AMGod speed to all impacted by yesterdays terrorist attack in madrid. i was wondering if anyone has any idea, whatsoever, for the objective of all of these attacks? i don't think there is one thing that the"west" could change to stop the terrorists "reasons" for these senseless acts. i think all of us have a general ideas of why terrorists act but what do they really expect our response to be. and if we were going to entertain the idea of trying to placate them (not to say that would be right) what would we do and how would we know that it is what they want? these terrorists aren't telling us what exactly they want out of all of their violence. do they expect the western civilization and way of life to just stop? is this ultimately just jealousy? if they thind that we are "evil", what makes them think that they are the messengers of God and are carrying out His will. they are like angry unfocused children who are acting out without really knowing the reason why and without aiming for specific goals. any ideas out there?
Posted by: susan b en: March 12, 2004 03:45 PMI have just been watching the BBC news.
It was truly inspiring to see millions of Spanish people standing together saying "NO" to terror.
It is amazing to see such heart warming solidarity in appauling circumstances.
I am proud to be European knowing we have such strong and inspiring friends in Spain.
it's so unfortunate that, each time ,innocent souls have to pay the supreme price of death for for political tussles they know virtually nothing about
the blood of the innocent victims of march 11,2004 terrorist attack in madrid and other similar victims around the world would continue to hunt perpetrators of such deadly acts
I've just arrived from the demonstration. It seems that we were too million people in Madrid, and eight million in all Spain.
Today, all the shops in Vallecas have been closed, as a solidarity gesture with the victims, with our neighbours.
It's quite comforting to see your comments, to feel the warm from a lot of different people form a lot of different places.
Now it's time to recover our lives. Thanks.
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 12, 2004 10:43 PMHi everyone, thanks for your uplifting words. I live close to Atocha train station in Madrid and we are going through all these with a heavy weight on our hearts, to be able to share our pain is already a relief. I happened to be in New York on september 11 aswell and again I am feeling overwelmed. What are we doing with the world? What's gonna happen next? When you plant hate, you collect hate. Please, please, no matter the pain you are feeling right now...stop hating. The circle is gotta break somewhere. Let's brake it together!
Posted by: laura casla en: March 13, 2004 12:21 AMSusan B:
Read the Koran, there you will find answers on all your questions.
I live near to Barajas Airport. I´m always waiting for the moment of the next strike, I often hear the planes leaving and landing, come of them pass by very close to my very roof. I´m always afraid that one of them falls down, or worse, that one of them explotes in the air. I live in fear since 9/11. Why? Because my asshole government has supported yankees in their "war on terror" - which in fact is nothing but "war for oil and power". More than 90% of us, spaniards, have demonstrated against our involvement in Irak War, ut this sucker Aznar has never really meant to be our voice, he has just tried to get some interesting support for the companies which have paid his campaigns, to make sure his party wins elections again. He´s a motherfucker, a dangerous motherfucker. Now he says that ETA is guilty for the latest attack, well, I don´t trust him at all. The father of a friend of mine is a CEDAX (you know, this guy works deactivating bombs). Yesterday, he had to deactivate a bomb in PIO XII underground station. Could you believe that no TV channel has mentioned this? Every single mass media is banned -even those which often disagree- and we have no trustable information. This guy works together with a Guardia Civil´s high authority, and he says that, in spite of what TV may say, ETA didn´t have anything to do with this, he says he´s seen all the clues and he´s completely sure that Al Qaeda is to blame. Why doesn´t Aznar admit this point? Well, it´s quite simple. We´re going to vote tomorrow. If he admitted that this attack is the consequence of our support to yankee troops in a country where we should have never got into, then he´s a dead duck. He prefers the ETA version so that we all feel "more spanish", and therefore "more conservative". Saddam was a sucker. A wicked dictator, yes. An evil ruler; we all agree. But this war wasn´t OUR war. It should have been UN´s war, not just a single sided initiatie leaded by the always imperialist attitude of US and sadly followed by the two European asses: Blair and Aznar. Why don´t we go to Saudi Arabia and bring their dictator down? He admits to have WMD, else he admits he beheads a dozen of gay people before every football match. He kills, he tortures, he doesn´t repect human rights... but he´s selling us his oil. This is the sad difference. This guy is a friend of our king, he comes every summer to Marbella for his vacation, and we´re never going to overthrow his government. Because he´s our friend. Now, we´re nothing but a new target for arab terrorism. What have we got? Nothing, but hate.
Posted by: Roderico en: March 13, 2004 10:56 AMRoderico, the two best friends you have in this world are the U.S. and the U.K., who will always be there to protect your sorry ass. What you say about the Saudis has some validity, as they are the financiers of Muslim terror. However, they are sort of protected because of the territory they occupy: the Muslim holy places. It's fairly easy to drop a missile on the Q'aba in Mecca, but that will start a World war.
Posted by: Toshi Bauser en: March 13, 2004 08:52 PMIf we hadn't helped the US and UK in their imperalist war against Irak, maybe this wouldn't have happened. Or I would have happened anyway, we'll never know.
But, please, don't "protect our sorry ass" anymore. And stop dropping bombs everywhere. The world is not your playground. Don't forget that. And, please, don't insult us.
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 13, 2004 09:35 PMCesar, you (Spain) will continue to be a terrorist target regardless of whether you support the situation in Iraq or not. Read the Qur'an and read history: as long as you occupy what bin-Laden considers to be Muslim lands, you are his enemy. Don't kid yourself that bad things happen only in Israel or in New York; as far as Radical Islam is concerned, you are a legitimate target and 3/11 was the first volley.
Posted by: Toshi Bauser en: March 13, 2004 11:00 PM...And as to the "imperial" U.S.: What empire? Did we attack, a la Spain, foreign countries, destroyed their civilizations, forced them to convert to Catholicism, depleted their treasures and killed millions in the process the way Spain did it in the Americas? Give me a break.
Posted by: Toshi Bauser en: March 13, 2004 11:05 PMHey, please, don't follow that path. We are talking about an ilegal war that the USA started less than a year ago, not about all the crimes that we, the spanish people, commited 500 years ago.
Don't try to manipulate the facts like that. An please, don't make count all the ilegal dirty wars, all the killings were the USA and its agencies ( CIA, DEA, Army ) have been involved.
We know that we are a target of terrorism. We have our own terrorist group, and we've had it for 30 years. So please, don't try to teach us how to act against terrorism.
Bad things have happened all over the world, except in your country, for too many years. Many of them were directly promoted by your country. So, please, don't try to teach anything.
I think you are the one that should give us a break.
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 13, 2004 11:20 PMAnd don't try to teach us history. At least not YOUR history.
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 13, 2004 11:21 PMHow about you RECENT imperial history? the Legion Azul and the Waffen SS? or were they the "other" Spaniards, unrelated to the current generation? Part of the 1000-year Reich, indeed.
Posted by: Toshi Bauser en: March 14, 2004 05:19 AMThe good people of the world suffer greatly at the hands of those whose whole purpose is evil.
The good people of Spain, innocent ordinary folk going about their daily lives felt the impact of this force for evil and in an instant of terror so many loved ones were lost. Sons and daughters ,husbands,wives lovers, friends and even tiny infants, never to return home on what should have been just another day in the life of this very wonderful country.
Our hearts bleed for you dear people of Spain,our prayer are for your loved ones who are in the arms of our Lord, and for the recovery of the injured and for the comfort of those who are moaning.
Let the light of goodness overcome this time of darkness for us all.
Padre Eric Lewis Costa Blanca Anglican Chaplaincy.
To Toshi Bauer: please, stop it. I don't want to erase your coments, but if you keep on insulting me, I will.
I'll be glad to discuss about history whenever you want, but not in this post. This has gone too far.
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 14, 2004 09:08 AMhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/spain/article/0,2763,1169070,00.html
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 14, 2004 03:19 PMCesar, I agree that our exchange has veered way off from its starting point. The cause for 3/11 is not the simplistic "we aided America, and now we suffer for it." 3/11 is another battle in the clash of civilizations (read Samuel Huntington's book by the same name).
Posted by: Toshi Bauser en: March 14, 2004 04:50 PMHi, Toshi.
I'm glad to see that our discussion has recovered its path. I still don't share your thoughts ( and you don't share mine ), but this is the way we sholud keep it.
Thanks
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 14, 2004 04:59 PMMr Bauser:
I´d like to discusse several points in your last comments. First of all: my "sorry ass" is alright, thanks for your care, and it has never asked for your "protection". Al Qaeda had never glanced at us, until we became your partners, so we never needed protection. You assume that every country wants or needs to be protected by you; well, I think we need to be protected FROM you. About the SS comment... Well, it´s true that Spain has lived under a terrible dictatorship during almost 40 years in the last century. Do you really think spaniards wanted Franco as a ruler? No, my man, he got power by force. During these 40 years, the whole world showed us their backs, they didn´t want to help a totalitarian regime like Franco´s. UN didn´t recognize him as a legitimate governor, therefore denying him the right to vote, or receive any kind of help. Well, every country did so, except for two: one of them, Argentina; I must remind you that Pinochet was the dictator who ruled there when this happened. The other country was USA. These were the two only countries which supported Franco´s dictatorship, sending him free food and weapons, while the rest of the world showed us nothing but indiference, in order to force a democratic change. So, if your accusation is about Spain´s support to nazis, you must know that your country helped Spain too, so you were helping nazis yourselves. We all feel shame here, for those dark years in which human rights were nothing but a phrase wirtten on a book which no one could read because it was strictly forbidden to do.
If you want facts, I could tell you more than o hundred historical mistakes for which we, spaniards, should feel shame: beginnig by the Santa Inquisición, the Holy War (familiar, isn´t it?), america´s discovery... but I think this is not the point. The point is not whether we have or haven´t been a fair nation throughout history, since now we´re nothing but a small nation which is still trying to find out how to live in democracy. Now we´re not the problem anymore; once, we ruled the world, but now it´s you who got the bombs, the money and the will to rule. And it´s quite worrying that my president (yes, "Ánsar") follows yours like an innocent lamb. My nation has started to suffer the consequences of his (not OURS) stupidity. Why am I so angry? Well; in my government´s own words, up to 93% of spaniards didn´t agree with Aznar´s decission to send troops to Irak. If he admits 93%, it´s probably more than 99%, believe me, this sucker can´t help manipulating mass media. So we have received a punishment for what we never wanted to do. And who´s getting the profit? No one but USA. Read my lips: WE DON´T WANT TO BE PROTECTED BY YOU. WE WANT TO BE PROTECTED FROM YOU. One last point: I definetively agree with you about our shameful historical mistake commited in South America: we killed, we raped, we stole, we made their civilizations disappear... And I can´t feel but shame for my ancestors. Now, I´d like to know what you think about how US was born. Do you remember who the apaches were? The black feet? The comanches? What did you do to them? I still can see original aborigins in the whole south america, but I can´t say the same for USA. Where are the original indians? What about their gods? What about their lands, their respectful attitude towards nature? Where has it gone? I wish they were still ruling north america; I´m sure they would respect Kioto´s treaty, unlike you. You nation has several reasons to feel shame, but I don´t want to go back in history, I live in 2004. I´d like you to think about the harm your country is doing to the rest of the world NOWADAYS. Well, I´m only 29, maybe you think I´m just a child, but I know what I want: I want solutions, I don´t even need apologizes, I want USA to become a fair nation, a respectful country, for human kind´s sake.
César: gracias por tu apoyo; estoy pendiente de los resultados de las elecciones. Espero que estos capullos pierdan el poder de una vez para siempre, y que nunca nadie nos vuelva a poner de espaldas al mundo. Salud!!!!!
Posted by: Roderico en: March 14, 2004 09:11 PMHey, guys, please, let's remember what this post is about. Let's try to stop this discussions.
By the way, the spanish government will change today, because of the elections.
Posted by: Cesar Tardaguila en: March 14, 2004 11:36 PMRoderico, thank you for your comments. It may sound strange, but I agree with most of what you say. Still, my point is that 3/11 had nothing to do with Ansar sending troops to Iraq. The way I see it from Los Angeles, al-Qaeda won the elections today by intimidating the population.
Godspeed and best wishes.
Posted by: Toshi Bauser en: March 15, 2004 12:12 AMSorry,
I think general elections has been won for those of us that didn't want more lies, more work in terrible conditions, more difficult to buy a home ( people with 25 years old who buy a home must be paying for the next 50 years more than 50% of his salary ). In the last 2 years we had in spain a general strike, a lot of people on the streets figthten against the educational policy of our government, against this people who left gallegos alone with the "marea negra", against the war on Irak ( more that 90%of the population ) etc.. A lot of us were shouting for a new party on the power, and what happend in the last 3 days is not the only reason to vote PSOE or one another party.
Sorry for my terrible english.
DNS
Why don't you tell me the reasons? Everytime someone asks an Islamic for an opinion, it seems they are always directed toward the Coran. I want YOUR opinion and if that involves the Coran, so be it.
God Bless
Susan