A year after terrorists killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,500 at two Madrid train stations, both U.S. and Spanish officials say that there is no evidence that al-Qaida leadership authorized or even knew of the plan. Instead, say officials, their belief is that those responsible, while inspired by al-Qaida, were local Muslims who took an opportunity to carry out an attack that would show their anger over Spanish involvement with the U.S. In fact, say U.S. officials, the attack marked a significant turning point in the history of radical Islamic terror. It represented a shift from attacks carried out by al-Qaida to “like-minded” and “affiliate” groups with firm links to what the intelligence community now refers to as “al-Qaida Central,” the group led by Osama bin Laden. Full Story
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