“Remarkably, the Madrid attack [on March 11, 2004] was previewed in a document prepared in Iraq and distributed to jihadist websites in December 2003. It provided a strategic analysis of Spain’s vulnerabilities and pointed out that the Spanish government’s support for the war in Iraq was not matched by public support, arguing that ‘painful strikes’ in Spain would put an end to the deployment of Spanish troops in Iraq, especially if timed to coincide with the elections scheduled for March 2004. That, of course, is exactly what happened.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Bruce Riedel, The Search for Al Qaeda, Page 131