AP , MANILA
Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004,Page 6
Religious edicts from al-Qaeda leaders and anger over the US occupation of Iraq are more likely behind a rash of bombings around the world than direct orders from Osama bin Laden's organization, government officials and terrorism experts say.
And the string of blasts -- from Madrid to Tashkent to Manila -- may be fueling momentum for more attacks from like-minded terror groups, raising concerns for the US handover in Iraq, the Athens Olympics and upcoming elections in Europe, Asia and the US.
Officials said they likely averted major bombings with arrests and confiscations of TNT in Manila and 450kg of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer compound frequently used as a bomb ingredient, in London.
There's no evidence of a worldwide terror organization or that al-Qaeda is calling the shots, perhaps even setting off the wave of violence with key words or phrases in messages from the network's top leaders, officials and terrorism experts said.
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