Spain: Al-Qaida claim overshadows election

Spaniards went to the polls today in a general election thrown wide open by a reported al-Qaida claim that it staged the Madrid rail bombings to punish the government for supporting the Iraq war.

Sun, 14 Mar, 2004 - 09:46

Spaniards went to the polls today in a general election thrown wide open by a reported al-Qaida claim that it staged the Madrid rail bombings to punish the government for supporting the Iraq war.

Ruling Popular Party candidate Mariano Rajoy led most polls until last Thursday’s bombing which killed 200 and injured 1,500 others.