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The horrendous savagery of events in Madrid (11/3/04)lead to many speculations. Spanish politicians leap forward, eyes covered, ears muffled, drooling with venom for their preferred perpetrator, ETA. Perhaps the accustomed target of their fire has become such a part of the Spanish political psyche that knee-jerk reactions are understandable.

But what of a newly-emerging conclusion that other terror agencies may have been responsible for the wicked slaughter in Madrid?

The theory that Spain's unhesitating military support for the invasion of Iraq may have made it a target for international terror leads to a fearful conclusion which perhaps that nation's politicians
would rather not face up to. Hence the invocation of the dark spectre of ETA-for so long wheeled out to galvanise the Spanish people into a reaction to such evil events as 11/3.

IF some shadowy network of Terror OTHER than ETA are involved, and if it was for the reasons mentioned above, then an even deeper cause for concern raises itself. The vast majority of the Spanish people did not support the invasion of Iraq, yet many of these ordinary decent citizens lie torn and mangled by the indiscriminate attacks in Madrid.

IF the Madrid bombings were the work of vengeful allies of Saddam, then we truly have an enemy to fear - one who takes no account of people's opposition to their governments' actions.

As the English Socialist Party offers its brotherly sympathies to the victims of 11/3, we remember the eternally sad fact that politicians howling for action, revenge and scapegoats never seem to ride the morning railways...