Definition of Attack of 11-M

On the morning of March 11, 2004, the bloodiest terrorist attack in the history of Spain took place in the city of Madrid. Four commuter trains were exploded and as a result 191 people died and there were thousands of injured.

In the trial sentence that was held three years later, the court sentenced the jihadist Al Qaeda terrorists who organized the attack and a small group of collaborators to prison.

The 11-M attack had consequences in the general elections that took place three days after the massacre.

Before the terrorist attack, the electoral campaign ran with normal. The clear favorite for the victory was the match that was then in the government of the nation, the Popular Party. However, after the terrorist attack there was a change in the public opinion.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets protesting two fundamental issues. On the one hand, the government was accused of manipulating information about the terrorist attack and, on the other hand, the government was held indirectly "responsible" for having authorized the

participation of the Spanish army in the United States war against Iraq (for a part of the Spanish public opinion the intervention of Spain in the Iraq war was the element that provoked the desire for revenge in the ideologues of 11-M).

According to the majority of studies carried out, these protests triggered a change in the intentions of vote and this caused the PSOE to widely win the general elections of March 14, 2004.

Two versions of the facts

The official version is included in the judgment of the trial. According to it, the accused jihadist terrorists were most responsible for the massacre. However, some means of communication they have expressed their disagreement with the official version of events.

It is stated that the terrorist group ETA played a leading role in the attack (those who defend this theory argue that the explosives used on the trains were those normally used by ETA members in their attacks).

On the other hand, supporters of the "conspiracy" claim that 11-M was designed with the purpose that the Popular Party lost the general elections.

Photo: Fotolia - KarSol

Topics in Attack of 11-M