The bombings took place three days prior to the general elections in Madrid which resulted in the ouster of the conservative Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar in favor of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of the Socialist Party.

Aznar, who adamantly supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq, was heavily blamed for the bombings which have now been linked to the al Qaeda terrorist group.

Bradley S. Epps, Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures, said that Aznar lied to the Spanish people about the war in Iraq and tried to convince the people that ETA, a Basque separatist group, was responsible for the bombing.

“The misinformation and suppression of information was almost immediate. There was a knee-jerk reaction here as if it was impossible to imagine that this was a global terrorist attack,” Epps said.

Watson echoed Epps’ statement, noting the confusion that ensued in the hours after the bombing

“They immediately decided it was ETA, the Basque terrorist group. It was scary because people didn’t know who to believe or what the situation was,” Watson said.

Epps compared the lies made by the former Spanish government to statements made by President Bush.

“The Popular party has lied to the Spanish people just as George W. Bush and his cronies have lied to the American people. Their foreign policy is built on the manipulation of truth and lies, and that is certainly how the majority of the Spanish people see it,” Epps said.

CLOSE TO HOME

Even with the many parallels between the situation in Madrid and that in the United States, students and professors said that they were disappointed with the general apathy of the American people.

“It was very upsetting I think because the American reaction wasn’t as strong as I thought it would be,” Thomas said.

Epps attributed this apathy to U.S. arrogance and feelings of supremacy.

“The U.S. is one of the most narcissistic and self-absorbed countries on earth. That is one of the effects of power,” Epps said.

However, others disagreed, noting that their friends here have been very supportive in the wake of the tragedy.

“Everyone who I know who knew I was in Madrid contacted me about whether or not my friends were safe,” Dugi said. “Proportionally you are not going to get the same reaction out of people just because it was not in the United States. People have taken an interest not just in the event, but the context surrounding it as well.”