Blair and Prince of Wales to attend Madrid memorial service
The prime minister and Prince Charles will represent the UK at a memorial service for the victims of the Madrid bombings tomorrow.
More than 200 people were killed and over a thousand injured in a series of suicide attacks on commuter trains in the Spanish capital on March 11th.
Tony Blair’s official spokesman confirmed that the prime minister and the Prince of Wales would be attending the service.
After the service in the morning, Mr Blair will hold meetings in Spain before travelling on to Lisbon for meetings with the president and prime minister of Portugal.
Downing Street declined to confirm whether Mr Blair would also meet Spain’s newly elected prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, a vocal critic of the conflict in Iraq, or Spain’s outgoing premier and Britain’s ally in the Iraq war, Jose Maria Aznar.
Ten bombs exploded on four packed trains during rush hour in Madrid on March 11th. Islamist terror group Al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility for the atrocities and a total of 14 people have been arrested in connection with the attacks.
Yesterday, foreign secretary Jack Straw met with European colleagues to discuss measures to combat international terrorism following the Madrid bombings.
Scotland Yard has urged the British public to be extra-vigilant over possible terrorist threats and has launched a special phone hotline to report any suspicions.
Meanwhile, Anti-terror police in London have called on landlords and hotel managers to watch out for suspicious tenants or guests, on motor traders to report suspicious customers and bank staff to report attempts to set up possibly bogus accounts. Extra police have been positioned a railway stations in the UK following the Madrid attacks.
