▁u ph old ▁the ▁version ▁that ▁E TA ▁was ▁responsible . ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁José ▁María ▁A zn ar ▁even ▁called ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁newspaper ▁edit ors ▁and ▁publish ers ▁personally ▁to ▁ask ▁for ▁their ▁support ▁for ▁this ▁version . ▁ ▁The ▁t ense ▁political ▁atmosphere ▁in ▁Spain ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁running ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁elections ▁brought ▁the ▁P P ▁to ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁a ▁political ▁cat ast rop he . ▁On ▁one ▁hand , ▁José ▁María ▁A zn ar ▁was ▁ag gress ively ▁opposed ▁to ▁any ▁dialog ue ▁with ▁E TA , ▁and ▁based ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁campaign ▁on ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁terror ism ▁( the ▁September ▁ 1 1 ▁attacks ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁rein for ced ▁his ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁against ▁the ▁terror ists ). ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁A zn ar ' s ▁friendship ▁with ▁U . S . ▁president ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ira q ▁against ▁the ▁views ▁of ▁the ▁over wh el ming ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁( result ing ▁in ▁the ▁biggest ▁demonstr ations ▁ever ▁seen ▁in ▁Spain ▁since ▁the ▁rest oration ▁of ▁dem ocracy ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ). ▁This ▁left ▁A zn ar ▁in ▁a ▁complicated ▁situation : ▁if ▁Bas que ▁terror ists ▁were ▁proven ▁to ▁be ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁mass acre , ▁it ▁would ▁favour ▁the ▁P P ' s ▁campaign , ▁but ▁if ▁an ▁Islam ic ▁group ▁appeared ▁to ▁cause ▁the ▁bl ast , ▁people