As Europe Hunts for Terrorists, the Hunted Press Advantages

On a quiet Sunday afternoon, the ancient Madrid neighborhood of Lavapiés is a picture of European multiculturalism. Spanish matrons with sprayed helmets of golden hair stroll arm in arm with husbands wearing black berets. A young man with a purple mohawk sips coffee after coffee. Nearby, a few Nigerians lean against a wall, telling stories of the night before. Young Moroccans drift buoyantly down the street. On several nights last week, however, the neighborhood that has long been a haven for Muslim immigrants looked more like a battleground. The police raided Moroccan-owned shops for evidence in the Madrid terror bombings. Investigators hunted witnesses. Handcuffed suspects, hooded with garbage bags, were hustled into waiting cars. The battle that broke into the open in Lavapiés is being fought in shadows all over Europe, as the police and intelligence agents confront the growing numbers of Islamic militants who blend easily with other immigrants from North Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. Full Story