George Orwell recounts in Homage to Catalonia the moment he heard the crack of gunfire on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. When the music stopped, the crowd ran to take shelter in the Metro station but he decided not to follow because he might be trapped for hours.
It's a choice that is now a familiar one to anyone on what should be an unthinking excursion on European streets. The scenario that unfolded in Barcelona on Thursday had already been seen in Britain, France and Germany. The van mowed down people regardless of nationality. Shopkeepers became reluctant heroes for sheltering the targeted. The perpetrators that sought death were stopped by an astonishingly rapid police response.
In the aftermath of the attacks, the well-visited site stood silent behind police tape. Soon the carnival atmosphere will return as visitors come back to build memories.
The crowds quickly returned this summer at London Bridge and the nearby Borough market. And to the Nice promenade that was attacked last summer. The Christmas market that was attacked in Berlin last year will open again in the next few months.
Yet every atrocity has its own context and consequent dangers. Spain has not had a terror attack rooted in Islamist extremism since 2004. That bomb attack on the commuter train in suburban Madrid was instructed by Al Qaeda, which claimed to be extracting revenge for Spanish involvement in the Iraq war.
Political circumstances mattered hugely in the aftermath of that attack. Jose Maria Aznar, then the prime minister, was campaigning for re-election. The ruling party, including the government spokesman and today's prime minister Mariano Rajoy, was desperate to assign blame to ETA the Basque separatists.
The voters knew the government was feeding them a falsehood and revolted. The government lost the election. In effect, Al Qaeda changed the course of an election in Europe. Spain soon pulled its troops from southern Iraq.
READ MORE Barcelona terror attack: What we know
The potential for Thursday's attack to have far reaching consequences for Spain is again all too real. As it was in Orwell's 1930s, Barcelona is at loggerheads with Madrid. Catalonian authorities are pressing ahead with plans to hold a referendum in October on independence.
Mr Rajoy has fought fiercely against the very idea of the vote. So far the fight has been in the courts. Even so Catalonian civil servants have faced fines and jail for their work on the plebiscite.
A terror attack now raises the stakes for the politicians. Clashes over the poll will now be seen against an altered backdrop. The lessons of 2004, particularly Mr Rajoy’s clumsy role, stalk the present.
There has already been a sense that Barcelona faces its own particular terror challenges. Although Spain has been spared Islamist atrocities there was a close miss in the city centre in 2008 when three Pakistani men were captured plotting an attack.
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Prof Peter Neumann of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London has been working with Catalonian police on counteracting extremism since that time. To Prof Neumann, the attack on Las Ramblas was inevitable. Barcelona is a hub of radicalisation on the north shore of the Mediterranean.
Radical Islamists moving between north Europe and North Africa have put down roots there. The pressures on the security forces to penetrate these groups and neutralise the recruiters has grown steadily.
A study of those arrested for terror crimes in Spain from 2013 until 2015 for the US Military Academy's Combating Terrorism Centre (CTC) found that almost a quarter came from Barcelona. This new generation has been radicalised since the start of the Syrian conflict and the rise of ISIL.
It found that two factors were common in the vast majority of cases. The first, most obvious, was contact with a radicalising agent who convinced the suspect to embrace violence.
The second was social ties with ISIL loyalists or other extremists. An astonishing 87 per cent were radicalised in the company of others. Established social or family ties with a person either convicted of terror offences or who had travelled to Syria or other foreign conflict zones featured in 69 per cent of arrests. The melding of online and real world extremism in Spanish terror is a toxic reality.
Social interactions are a particularly thorny challenge for Spain. North Africans, particularly Moroccans, are a large part of the Spanish population. As the daily headlines this month have made clear, migrants clamour to move north from the African coast in ever greater numbers. Yet the country is a widely acknowledged laggard in integrating its communities. Divisions such as those between the Catalan speakers and Spanish speakers have existed for centuries.
Fernando Reinares, the author of the CTC report, points out identifying and tackling those promoting and carrying out radicalisation is a task for the security forces.
Breaking open the interwoven knot of personal ties and community links within networks that justify terrorism is Spain’s larger unifying mission.
The biog
Born: High Wycombe, England
Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels
Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.
Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.
Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.
The Saudi Cup race card
1 The Jockey Club Local Handicap (TB) 1,800m (Dirt) $500,000
2 The Riyadh Dirt Sprint (TB) 1,200m (D) $1.500,000
3 The 1351 Turf Sprint 1,351m (Turf) $1,000,000
4 The Saudi Derby (TB) 1600m (D) $800,000
5 The Neom Turf Cup (TB) 2,100m (T) $1,000,000
6 The Obaiya Arabian Classic (PB) 2,000m (D) $1,900,000
7 The Red Sea Turf Handicap (TB) 3,000m (T) $2,500,000
8 The Saudi Cup (TB) 1,800m (D) $20,000,000
Match info
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Liverpool v Porto, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
Fighter profiles
Gabrieli Pessanha (Brazil)
Reigning Abu Dhabi World Pro champion in the 95kg division, virtually unbeatable in her weight class. Known for her pressure game but also dangerous with her back on the mat.
Nathiely de Jesus, 23, (Brazil)
Two-time World Pro champion renowned for her aggressive game. She is tall and most feared by her opponents for both her triangles and arm-bar attacks.
Thamara Ferreira, 24, (Brazil)
Since her brown belt days, Ferreira has been dominating the 70kg, in both the World Pro and the Grand Slams. With a very aggressive game.
Samantha Cook, 32, (Britain)
One of the biggest talents coming out of Europe in recent times. She is known for a highly technical game and bringing her A game to the table as always.
Kendall Reusing, 22, (USA)
Another young gun ready to explode in the big leagues. The Californian resident is a powerhouse in the -95kg division. Her duels with Pessanha have been highlights in the Grand Slams.
Martina Gramenius, 32, (Sweden)
Already a two-time Grand Slam champion in the current season. Gramenius won golds in the 70kg, in both in Moscow and Tokyo, to earn a spot in the inaugural Queen of Mats.
Manchester United v Club America
When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)
The Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize
This year’s winners of the US$4 million Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize will be recognised and rewarded in Abu Dhabi on January 15 as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week, which runs in the capital from January 13 to 20.
From solutions to life-changing technologies, the aim is to discover innovative breakthroughs to create a new and sustainable energy future.
Sanchez's club career
2005-2006: Cobreloa
2006-2011 Udinese
2006-2007 Colo-Colo (on loan)
2007-2008 River Plate (on loan)
2011-2014 Barcelona
2014–Present Arsenal
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
Results
Catchweight 60kg: Mohammed Al Katheeri (UAE) beat Mostafa El Hamy (EGY) TKO round 3
Light Heavyweight: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) no contest Kevin Oumar (COM) Unintentional knee by Oumer
Catchweight 73kg: Yazid Chouchane (ALG) beat Ahmad Al Boussairy (KUW) Unanimous decision
Featherweight: Faris Khaleel Asha (JOR) beat Yousef Al Housani (UAE) TKO in round 2 through foot injury
Welterweight: Omar Hussein (JOR) beat Yassin Najid (MAR); Split decision
Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Sallah Eddine Dekhissi (MAR); Round-1 TKO
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali Musalim (UAE) beat Medhat Hussein (EGY); Triangle choke submission
Welterweight: Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) beat Sofiane Oudina (ALG); Triangle choke Round-1
Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Saleem Al Bakri (JOR); Unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Nawras Abzakh (JOR); TKO round-2
Catchweight 63kg: Rany Saadeh (PAL) beat Abdel Ali Hariri (MAR); Unanimous decision
Community Shield info
Where, when and at what time Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday at 5pm (UAE time)
Arsenal line up (3-4-2-1) Petr Cech; Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal; Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck; Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Chelsea line up (3-4-2-1) Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Gary Cahill; Victor Moses, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Willian, Pedro; Michy Batshuayi
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte
Referee Bobby Madley
A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
