Patrick Smith, the editor of Africa Confidential magazine, says there isn't any evidence, but military sources in South Africa "are absolutely categorical that the South African soldiers on that plane to Zimbabwe on Sunday were involved in the Equatorial Guinea adventure".
He says they also claim that Severo Moto had a series of discussions with the Spanish Prime Minister Aznar, with a view to getting recognition, were he to succeed in overthrowing the Obiang government. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3500832.stm
Because Rajoy is hand-picked by Aznar who is accused of plotting the overthrowing of the Equatorial Guinea government only last weekend might one assume that Rajoy is to carry on Aznar or Spain’s policy of underhanded regime change? Was Equatorial Guinea the only African country targeted by Spain?
The bombings came almost immediately after the Equatorial Guinea failed coup and right before the Spanish elections. The implication of African militants, presumably al Qaeda, could also sway Spain's general election, going ahead on Sunday as planned after three days of official mourning.
Aznar's center-right government stands to win votes if the culprits were ETA, because it has campaigned on its hardline stance against the armed Basque group, political analysts said.
What the voters do not realize is that the attack at least in part may have been a means in which to hurt Rajoy’s re-election chances because of Spain’s African policies and seek revenge for the attempted coup.
This, if true, will be covered up. -Am
Spanish Intelligence Reportedly Blames Muslims for Bombs
Updated 12:05 PM ET March 13, 2004
By Daniel Trotta
MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Spain's intelligence service is "99 percent certain" Muslim not Basque militants perpetrated the Madrid train bombings that killed 200 people, a Spanish radio station reported on Saturday.
The report by private radio SER, whose owners have links to the opposition Socialists, flew in the face of government assertions armed group ETA was the prime suspect in the attacks that have traumatized Spain and sent jitters round the world.
It fueled grumbling from critics that Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's government might be focusing on the Basque group, rather than al Qaeda, for internal political gain ahead of Sunday's election. Ministers angrily denied the charge.
"If (they think) it is al Qaeda, nobody has told me," Interior Minister Angel Acebes said, when asked if intelligence services were tending toward blaming Islamic militants for the blasts.
Finding the culprits for Thursday's atrocity, which killed 200 people and wounded 1,500, has huge global security implications. If it was al Qaeda, it would be the first strike in the West since the September 11, 2001, attacks on America.
If it were ETA, it would be a major escalation for a group that has killed 850 people in Spain over 36 years and is listed as a terrorist group by the United States and European Union.
It could also sway Spain's general election, going ahead on Sunday as planned after three days of official mourning.
Aznar's center-right government stands to win votes if the culprits were ETA, because it has campaigned on its hardline stance against the armed Basque group, political analysts said.
"DEATH FOR TERRORISTS"
If al Qaeda or other radical Islamic groups were shown to be involved, voters might perceive the attacks as the price for Aznar's domestically unpopular support of the Iraq war. But they might also rally around a government seen as strong on security.
Citing high-ranking officials, SER radio said the National Intelligence Center (CNI) believes evidence points to an Islamic group, and that 10 to 15 people left bombs on trains and fled.
"The evidence has wiped out previous indications that led us to believe in ETA," the radio quoted one source as saying.
The change came after a van was found later on Thursday, near the Alcala de Henares station where three of the four bombed trains originated, with an audio tape lesson about the Koran and seven detonators inside, the radio station said.
In a separate development, the doorman of the building across from where the van was found told Spanish media he saw three masked men get out of it the morning of the attacks.
Throughout Saturday -- a day that had been supposed to be an official "day of reflection" prior to the election -- traumatized Spaniards were burying their dead.
The nation's grief and anger was crystallized at a funeral service in Alcala de Henares, home to 40 of the dead.
"Death penalty for the terrorists," said a weeping Violeta Dominguez, whose daughter lost a friend. "This has no end. They will go on killing because they enjoy killing."
"There is a divine justice that nobody can escape from. They (those responsible) will never escape from this justice," Roman Catholic Bishop Jesus Catala told hundreds of mourners.
Spain does not have a death penalty and Aznar has said he is personally against it.
Demonstrating the depth of feeling in Spain, the government said 11.64 million people -- more than a quarter of Spain's population -- had taken to rain-drenched streets in nationwide protests on Friday against "our September 11."
ELECTION LOOMS
A group tied to al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the attacks and ETA has denied it -- but neither statement has been confirmed to be genuine.
"Whether it was ETA or al Qaeda doesn't affect the shared repudiation of terrorism, but it may have different political and electoral consequences," the left-leaning daily El Pais said in an editorial on Saturday.
Aznar is to step down, but his hand-picked successor, former Deputy Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, is seeking a third straight four-year term for the center-right Popular Party.
Socialist candidate Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who opposed the war in Iraq but has backed Aznar in the fight against ETA, is seeking to return the Socialists to power for the first time since Aznar unseated Felipe Gonzalez in 1996.
In Madrid, relatives continued their agonising vigils in hospitals where the worst of the wounded were being treated.
MADRID (Reuters) - Three Moroccans and two Indians were arrested in Madrid as part of the investigation into train bombings that killed 200 people, Spain's Interior Minister Angel Acebes said on Saturday.
"Sixty hours after the brutal attack we now have five detentions," the minister told a news conference.
All the detentions were made "for presumed implication in the sale and falsification of the mobile phone and cards found in the bag that did not explode," Acebes said.
He was referring to a phone found in a backpack with unexploded explosives on one of the trains targeted in Thursday's attacks.
Also, two Spaniards of Indian origin were giving statements to police, he added. "This is an open investigation which is only just starting. At the moment, there is a search going on in various buildings and homes."
Acebes added: "It's the beginning of the investigation, but it opens an important path to advance down ... I give you this information with a lot of caution and prudence."
Acebes said some of those arrested may have links to Moroccan militants, but it was too early to say for sure.
Coup Scare! Obasanjo Deploys Warship, Troops in E-Guinea
The United States was implicated in the attempt to overthrow Equatorial Guinea. Nigeria has sent 1,000 troops and a former US warship to Equatorial Guinea with the object of preventing such a coup. The United States is becoming a reliable partner to Nigeria. Wouldn’t even try to guess on this.
Coup Scare! Obasanjo Deploys Warship, Troops in E-Guinea
Nigeria has sent 1,000 troops and a former US warship to Equatorial Guinea, reports today's AllAfrica. The move comes in response to intelligence that a coup was being planned in Equatorial Guinea, and is with the object of preventing such a coup:
Vanguard (Lagos)
March 14, 2004 Posted to the web March 15, 2004
Kingsley Omonobi
WHILST still trying to resolve the insecurity problem triggered by recent high profile killings and attempted assassinations in the country, the Federal Government is scared stiff about the implication for Nigeria's security an alleged plot to overthrow President Teodoro Obiang Ngueme Mbasogo's government of the neighbouring Equatorial Guinea.
Consequently, President Olusegun Obasanjo weekend ordered the deployment of a Nigeria warship and about 1000 battle-tested military officers and men in Malabo, the neighbouring country's capital.
Trouble broke out in the Nigeria's eastern neighbour and the sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil producer penultimate Saturday when security forces began a clampdown on illegal immigrants in the country.
Nigeria and Cameroun embassies in Malabo were heavily guarded by troops when the raid continued last Monday. Spokesman of the government of Equatorial Guinea said the raid resulted in the arrest of 15 mercenaries.
It was not clear if Obasanjo's deployment of warship and troops in the country at the weekend had anything to do with the problem there.
But top military sources linked the Nigerian president's action to intelligence reports that some rebel soldiers were planning to storm the government house in Malabo with the intention to overthrow the government there.
President Obasanjo's action, Sunday Vanguard was told, was strictly pre-emptive because of the implication a coup d'etat in Equatorial Guinea could have on the stability of the West African sub-region, particularly Nigeria which has had to bear the brunt of past instability in many countries in the sub-region. Besides, the measure, it was learnt, would enable Nigeria move out her citizens from the country in the event that the situation there becomes too hot to handle. The reason of sub-regional stability was cited last year when Obasanjo threatened to deploy troops in neighbouring Sao Tome and Principe to quash a coup executed by some military officers in that country.
The threat forced the coup plotters to restore the democratically elected government. "The directive of Mr. President to the navy authorities is that the warship, NNS Ologbo, commanded by Navy Captain George Alily, and the presence of military personnel should serve as a re-assurance to the government and people of Equatorial Guinea of Nigeria's support for democratic governance as well as carry out evacuation of Nigerians living in the country in the event that the situation gets out of hand", a top naval officer who spoke on condition of anonymity told Sunday Vanguard. The official said NNS Ologbo, a warship of the cat class patrol armoury that has capability for sea-lifting in support of peace-keeping, support operation and offensive actions, sailed from Calabar with about 1000 battle tested military officers and men on the voyage to Malabo weekend.
"Already, the refugee situation as a result of wars in the West African region is alarming and any attempt to bring about more crisis that may cause problems for our country is being averted," the official said. Meanwhile, the Navy has decentralized its operation to ensure effective policing of the nation's oil producing areas of the Niger-Delta, curbing of illegal activities and violence at sea and contributing to the security arrangement in Warri and environs.
Towards this end, two recently acquired warships from the United States of America are to be deployed to Warri to fight bunkering, pipe-line vandalization and other violent activities while the three warships formerly deployed in Warri are now to be deployed to Calabar for a more effective policing of the entire Niger-Delta and the nation's Maritime resources.
Sunday Vanguard learnt that government took the measure because the loss to the nation as a result of piracy, bunkering and vandalization was so high that unless drastic measures are taken, it may get out of hand.
March 16, 2004 - excerpt The senior political adviser to the United State Embassy in Nigeria, Russell Handk, said U.S will be a reliable partner to Nigeria in her efforts to improve the living standard of its people.
He said the four principles the United State government pays special attention to in it's dealings with Nigeria and the rest of the world include democracy, development, security and co-operation adding that this remains the basis of its relationship with the rest of the world. http://allafrica.com/stories/200403160734.html
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