] A top Clinton-era expert on Europe and security warns
] that if the deadly Madrid bombings prove to be the work
] of al-Qaida, it could transform politics throughout
] Europe

An interesting point in this analysis which is different then mine is that I would have thought that Al'Q would have supported the socialists in spain, because doing so would remove spain from the table in terms of the conflict in the middle east. But this guy says that they support the right, so that the issue is less likely to be resolved peacefully. To me that seems like a suprising result. As an asymetrical element fighting a democratic state, I would think that I would want to use the element of shock to encourage the election of a government which is pliable and will do things that I want them to do, rather then the election of a government which is rigid and will attempt to engage me directly in a conventional way that I can't defend myself against.

Can anyone point me at a resource that discusses this in more detail?

Salon.com News | Spanish bombs