I have always thought that the general election in Spain on March 11 this year should have been suspended because of the Madrid bombings. Former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar told the parliamentary committee which is investigating the bombings that he suspects that the terrorists organised the bombings to coincide with the elections. He believes that if, as had been initially forecast, the elections had taken place the week before the bombings would also have taken place that week. There is plenty to investigate about the bombings; the role of the police, whether or not the security services knew of the plot, and the role of both Aznar and Rodriguez Zapatero, the Prime Minister who was then leader of the opposition.
Zapatero claims that Aznar deliberately blamed the Basque terrorist organisation, ETA, when he knew that it was the work of Al Qaeda because of Spain's support for the Iraq war. Aznar claims that the socialists broke the day of reflection and continued to campaign even though no electioneering is allowed on the day before the poll. These are both very serious allegations and hopefully the parliamentary committee will shed some light on both aspects. There is a danger that the investigation will become just a war of words between the two main parties in Spain. The committee should just be given the facts not the political rhetoric which goes with it. March 11 was a terrible day for Spain but the bombings need to be properly investigated and if there is any political blame then those people should be named and shamed. This should not be an investigation which is clearly forgotten. The committee's findings must be taken seriously. If the behaviour of the two main parties was at fault then they should face the consequences. The only way forward after this outrageous terrorist atrocity is the truth, and the whole truth.
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