▁Islam ic ▁J ih ad ▁had ▁itself ▁been ▁imp licated ▁in ▁several ▁attacks ▁in ▁Spain ▁the ▁previous ▁year , ▁including ▁a ▁mach in eg un ▁attack ▁on ▁a ▁K uw ait i ▁newspaper ▁publish er ▁and ▁the ▁killing ▁and ▁w ounding ▁of ▁two ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ians , ▁both ▁attacks ▁in ▁Mar b ella , ▁and ▁the ▁shooting ▁of ▁a ▁Leb an ese ▁emb ass y ▁employee ▁in ▁Madrid . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁El ▁País ▁newspaper ▁and ▁the ▁Group ▁of ▁Str ateg ic ▁Studies , ▁which ▁c ite ▁the ▁attack ▁as ▁" the ▁first ▁attack ▁of ▁Islam ist ▁terror ism ▁in ▁Spain ," ▁the ▁cred ibility ▁of ▁Islam ic ▁J ih ad ▁eventually ▁gained ▁weight , ▁also ▁as ▁a ▁letter ▁circul ated ▁two ▁weeks ▁after ▁the ▁bomb ing ▁stated : ▁" I sl am ▁is ▁ready . ▁Spain ▁and ▁Italy ▁are ▁the ▁first ▁targets . ▁The ▁attack ▁in ▁Madrid ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁holy ▁war . ▁Death ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁apost les ▁of ▁death ▁are ▁ready ▁to ▁res ume ▁the ▁holy ▁war ." ▁ ▁Later ▁develop ments ▁The ▁case ▁was ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁arr ests . ▁Only ▁the ▁claim ▁by ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁J ih ad ▁Organisation ▁was ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁closing ▁summary . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁judge ▁Balt as ar ▁Gar z ón ▁made ▁en qui ries ▁into ▁the ▁Mar b ella - based ▁Sy rian ▁arms ▁deal er ▁Mon zer ▁al