Madrid: Bomb Blasts Target Spanish Commuters

Annan deplores ‘senseless’ bomb blasts in Spain

Reacting to news of several bomb blasts in Spain this morning, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today reiterated his stance that there is no justification for targeting civilians, and said the perpetrators must to be held to account for their crimes.

“It is indeed with profound shock and indignation that I learned about the terrorist attack in Madrid today,” Mr. Annan told the press upon arriving at UN Headquarters in New York. “Once again we see senseless killing of innocent people. Killing of innocent people cannot be justified regardless of the cause.”

Offering his deepest sympathy to King Juan Carlos, the Government of Spain and to the people and friends who were killed or injured in the explosions, the Secretary-General said he hoped that the perpetrators would be brought to justice swiftly. In Geneva, the Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan condemned the bombings as "unconscionable and monstrous."

"The one thing terrorists all over the world have in common, whatever their claims, is an utter disregard for life and all human rights", Mr. Ramcharan said, vowing that these attacks "will not succeed in destroying the edifice of international law and human rights."

He joined Mr. Annan in stressing that the perpetrators must be brought to justice "within the human rights standards that help bind our societies together and that they constantly assail."

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