“One of the most sobering pieces of information to come out of the

investigation of the March 11th bombings [in Madrid] is that the planning

for the attacks may have begun nearly a year before 9/11. … It appears

that some kind of attack would have happened even if Spain had not joined

the Coalition — or if the invasion of Iraq had never occurred.” —

Lawrence Wright, “The Terror Web,” in the 8/2/04 New Yorker.