11M

[Janet]

"11M" is something that you might see several times today. You might see it every year, indeed, but this year is somewhat more special because 11M refers to 11 marzo, the 11 March in 2004, when 192 commuters were blown to their deaths and 1,858 others injured in Madrid's Atocha station by bombs on a train – la tren de la muerte: the train of death. Spain is recording the tenth tragic anniversary today of its own worst terrorist attack, the second-largest terrorist attack on European soil to date.

The 2007 trial of the suspects found that it was an Islamic terrorist attack, though on the eve of a general election the PP government of the time tried to pre-empt any trial findings and blame the Basque nationalist group ETA, knowing the extent of public opposition to Spain's support of George Bush's war in Iraq and that many had foretold just such an attack. The Aznar government's attempt to finger ETA was not believed, however, and the PSOE's socialst leader Zapatero swept to victory just a few days later in a blaze of outrage.

The immediate political aftermath and the trial are now fading into historical memory, but the memory of the attacks themselves is still raw, and will always leave deep scars on Spain's psyche. On this, the tenth anniversary, a commemorative exhibition is being opened in Madrid, organized by the 11-M Terrorism Victims Association, headed by Pilar Manjón. The exhibition will remain open from today to 16 March and will include tours guided by survivors of the attacks. Throughout Spain, however, and here in the Canaries too, people will be remembering. JA