Voters punish pro-war leaders

Voters, many wearing black ribbons to symbolise the nation’s grief since Thursday’s attack, turned out in numbers well above the last election in 2000, amid an angry debate over who was behind the bombings - al-Qaeda or the Basque separatists.

Opinion polls before last week’s terror attacks gave the PP a comfortable lead, but with 99.44 per cent of votes counted last night the opposition Socialist Party led with 43 per cent against the PP’s 37 per cent.

The election was held as evidence continued to grow that Islamic militants were responsible for Thursday’s attack on the capital, which left 200 people dead and threw the country into turmoil.

A video tape purporting to be from al-Qaeda claiming responsibility for the attacks emerged early yesterday, while ETA, the Basque separatist terror organisation which the Spanish government was quick to blame for the devastating bombings, repeated its claim that it had nothing to do with the atrocities.

Spanish police said they had arrested five people in connection with the bombings: three Moroccans and two Indians. It later emerged one of the Moroccans had been under surveillance and was suspected of being connected to an Islamic militant group.

The European Union said yesterday it might call a special interior ministers’ meeting to discuss security as signs grew that al-Qaeda might be behind the deadly rail bombings.

Analysts had warned that the PP could be hit if voters believed the purported al-Qaeda video’s claims, that the group had mounted its first attack in Europe in reprisal for Spain’s support for the US-led war in Iraq - a conflict most Spaniards opposed.

"I didn’t intend to vote, but I changed my mind," said Javi Martin, 30, who works for a TV station in Madrid. "And not because of the attacks, but because of the responsibility of the Popular Party. They gave out information drop by drop. It would have benefited them if it were ETA."

The Socialists have pledged to withdraw Spain’s 1,300 troops from Iraq if the United Nations does not take control by 30 June when Washington plans to hand power back to Iraqis. Opinion polls showed that as many as 90 per cent of Spaniards opposed the Iraq war.

Some Spaniards were vitriolic in accusing the prime minister, Jos Maria Aznar, of "manipulating" public opinion by spending three days blaming the bombings of four packed commuter trains on the Basque group ETA, despite its denials.

Mr Aznar, hailing a solid economy and greater clout for a country restored to the international mainstream three decades after Franco’s dictatorship ended, had taken a tough line against ETA.

"Clearly the attacks have taken their toll. It’s a raw nerve for the electorate and that nerve has been touched," said Henrik Lumholdt, a Spanish economist.

Just hours before polling began, officials said the purported al-Qaeda video had been found in a waste bin on the outskirts of Madrid and that three Moroccans and two Indians had been arrested in connection with the attack.

On the tape, a man speaking in Moroccan-accented Arabic said al-Qaeda’s claim of responsibility came from Abu Dujan al-Afghani, the military spokesman for al-Qaeda in Europe, and said the terror network had retaliated for Spain’s support for Washington.

"You love life and we love death," he said. "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."

Intelligence agents were trying to determine who Afghani is, to identify the man on the tape and to establish whether his claims that al-Qaeda bombed the four rush-hour trains were true.

"Up to now we have not been able to identify the person in whose name responsibility for the attack was purportedly claimed," said Mr Acebes.

"Neither the French, British nor Portuguese [intelligence] services have any knowledge of this person."

The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, said he hoped the attacks that killed 200 people and injured 1,500 "will cause Europeans to rededicate themselves to going after terrorist organisations".

But he said it was too early to say if al-Qaeda was responsible.

"I don’t think we know enough," he said.

"The Spanish are very good at these kinds of investigations. And I’m sure they’ll get to the bottom of it."

Morocco yesterday identified its three detained citizens as Jamal Zougam, 30, an office worker, mechanic Mohamed Bekkali, 31, and Mohamed Chaoui, 34, a factory worker.

Zougam had already been under surveillance by authorities at home, who suspected him of ties to the radical Islamic movement, a Moroccan official said yesterday.

He was one of thousands of Moroccans who have been watched by authorities since May’s terrorist bombings in the coastal city of Casablanca, a high-level official said. Morocco had no formal accusations against him.

The official declined to say which radical group Zougam was believed to have links to.

The other two suspects, Bekkali and Chaoui, had no police record in Morocco, the official said.

All three have been living in Spain for years.

The European Union said yesterday it might call a special interior ministers’ meeting to discuss security as signs grew that al-Qaeda might be responsible.

Ireland, the EU president until mid-year, said it was considering such talks, which Germany said were urgently needed. "An early meeting of home affairs ministers is one ... option and consultations are under way," the Irish government said in a statement.

Countries from France to the Czech Republic - set to join the EU in May - tightened security at borders, railways and airports. However, doubts persisted over Europe’s ability to protect its citizens from further attacks.

"If it is confirmed that the Madrid attacks have an Islamic background, it means that Islamic terrorism in Europe has taken on a new quality," said the German interior minister, Otto Schily, noting that Basque separatist involvement had not been ruled out.