Attacks in Spain show how militants can help oust governments, but spectacular hits have also united opposition to terrorism. The bombings in Spain now reverberating around the world are raising the specter of a new phenomenon: the possibility of a terror group bringing down a government.
While it is not yet certain that Al Qaeda was behind the attacks – or that the bombings alone were responsible for the fall of the Spanish government – the impact of the strikes nonetheless has affected everything from Wall Street to the political cohesiveness of Western democracies. This, experts say, is raising the possibility of an emerging new tactic of terror groups worldwide. After Spain, terrorists are likely to draw the conclusion that carefully timed attacks can influence electoral outcomes. To be sure, militant groups throughout history have used bombs and bluster to try to deliver political messages. Full Story
