EL Pais reports a car bomb has gone off in Madrid, planted by ETA the Basque separatist terrorist group. It went off in Calle Platerias in the Chamartin district. Apparently 11 people were injured, one badly. No fatalities, gracias a dios.

!Que barbaridad!

This is a true shame. I read about it last night myself. There was another car bombing in a different part of Spain. You can also read about ETA's recent attacks in the FYI: Bomb explosion thread. Read about the current car-bombings at the CNN World site. See the graphic of the Madrid bombing near Chamartin HERE . It's all very shameful. Did you also hear that 4 ETA terrorists were killed while driving one of their own car bombs? Hmmm.. I'd like to say something about that. Poetic justice? There, I said it. ARGH!!

Saludos, MadridMan

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 08-09-2000).]

I have a word for those ....... they almost killed my father in the "atentado en Vallecas" he is alive today only because he broke his rutine and took other bus that day. My best friend's father was killed when my friend was a baby, he was a Guardia Civil. And the most horrible thing that I will never forget is when they killed Miguel Angel Blanco I don't know if you guys know the story of that crime but ETA members cannot be human, there is no way that you can kill someone the way they did it if you have a heart. Their own people don't want them, they are rats (sorry rats, I don't mean to insult you) I don't believe in dead penalty but sometimes I would like that Spain were more hard on those ........

Justice is right. Live by the sword, die by the sword! I mean, putting car bombs in pedestrian streets (in a democratic country)! What the hell is that all about? Who would want the future of their region to be in the hands of such people?

Hopefully this won't deter anyone from visiting Madrid (or any part of Spain, including the Basque region). The chances of getting caught up in anything like this are absolutely minute.

Saludos!

[Slightly off-topic by location]
And there goes another murdered. Just today ETA killed a military person outside of Pamplona by car bomb. I read about it today (may be a temporary link) on this El País page (in Spanish).

Sadly, MadridMan

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 08-09-2000).]

first of all, thanks, MadridMan, for having this site because this is where i first found out about the ETA attacks...

i am sickened by this... imagine this things happening to your father or uncle or friend, worse enough that it happened to this man in Berriozar and also in Madrid again where several were hurt... i'll never forget the car bomb that i heard down the street from where i lived in moncloa, in front of the hall of the guardia civil...

i won't get too strident, but i can only liken this to vietnam or israel in the sense that the members of ETA are people "stationed" all over the country awaiting their orders, like the IRA... they walk amongst everyone else and you might even interract with one sometime and not know it... it's like here in los angeles where the guy beside you on the freeway runs a meth-lab and shoots people on weekends...

anyway, i hope this does not detract from the beauty of spain for tourists and those that have never been... Antonio and Nuria and other spaniards, we know that your country is beautiful and that this is not a common thing... anyway...

peace.

pd> Nuria, thanks for sharing your story. i'm happy that your father was not murdered by ETA...

ppd> thanks again for the el pais link, MadridMan.

[This message has been edited by real_megia (edited 08-10-2000).]

MadridMan=
What's the mood in Madrid now, with the ETA on the offensive and Madrid's streets a target? I was just there in May (my first trip), and the streets were alive with friendly and festive people. I hope that never changes.

Hi Kurt! I just replied to your email on the same topic. Here's what I wrote:

"I don't live in Madrid, unfortunately, but I believe that most madrileños aren't too worried about their safety. Spaniards really don't worry about their life-threatening things too much. They feel that if it happens, it happens. Besides, the chances of them being involved is still a million to one."

Maybe the Spaniards on this board would have a more valuable opinion on this matter.

Very sincerely, MadridMan

Hi Kurt,
My experience with ETA and their crimes is very extensive. I have been living in Spain for 24 years and I have heard and seen all the crimes they made. but when I was living in Madrid I didn't have any fear. Everytime that I heard about ETA killing someone again I (and the rest of the country) got upset or cry. I HATE those bastards and I would like them to burn in hell forever but they are not going to make me feel unsafe in my own country. Everytime that they kill someone almost everybody in Spain go to the street, all together, supporting each other. Those bastards want Spain to be divided but everytime they kill another innocent we get closer and closer.

BRAVO, NURIA!!

I've been following the events there on Rueters web-site, and there always are peaceful demonstrations which draw thousands highlighted. I admire the bravery and determination of everyone in Spain to stand up to these murderous bastards without stooping to thier barabaric level.

Please know that myself and everyone in Chicago, Illinois, USA are behind you!