The confirmation that Al Qaeda were involved in the kidnapping of the three Catalan aid workers headlines many papers in Spain today

El Mundo headlines that Zapatero is cornered by the weakness of his diplomacy.
The paper notes that the United Nations is demanding that Haidar return to her country, where her children are also living, but does not mention Morocco or the Sahara.
Also that Al Qaeda has announced that it will shortly send a letter with its conditions for the freedom of the three Spanish aid workers kidnapped in Mauritania.
And that the PP has accused the Interior Minister, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, of being a traitor to the Guardia Civil for apologising to the Gibraltar First Minister, Peter Caruana.

El País says that Spain fears a long kidnapping of the aid workers after Al Qaeda has been confirmed as being responsible. The paper says that they have the three Catalans and a French aid worker.
La Razón headlines that the presence of Al Qaeda has complicated the freedom of the aid workers. The paper says that the terrorists are now back in their safe bases in Mali, and will make their demands via a webpage.
ABC says that the involvement of Al Qaeda in the kidnapping has met the worst fears of the Government.
Meanwhile La Razón tells us that the western secret services think that Bin Laden is now on the border between Afghanistan and China.

La Razón has a large front page photo of Sarkozy, who has reminded Muslims of the Christian roots of Europe. The paper says he has used the referendum in Switzerland to re-launch the debate on the national identity.

El Mundo reports that there has been a blood bath from Al Qaeda in Baghdad: 127 deaths in five attacks.
El País has a dramatic and large front page photo of a body being taken away from the rubble after the blasts. The paper says that five car bombs in the Iraqi capital caused more than 100 deaths and nearly 500 injuries. It notes it came on the day that elections were announced for March 7.

El País reports that Aminatu Haidar has threatened penal action if a doctor is sent to see her, as she refuses any medical attention. The paper has an editorial today insisting why she must not die.
El Mundo has a front page photo of graffiti in Madrid supporting Aminatu Haidar, and notes that popular support for the activist is increasing.
La Razón considers that the Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, is leaving the responsibility for the consequences for her hunger strike in the hands of Haider herself.
ABC says that IU and the ERC will not vote in favour of the proposal to force Haidar to eat.

El Mundo highlights a petition in the climate change summit in Copenhagen. ‘Be sustainable, not buy sex’.
The prostitutes union has reacted to that by offering their services for free to the delegates.
El País notes that his decade has been the hottest since 1850.

El Mundo notes that the European Court of Human Rights has agreed with the Spanish woman ‘La Nena’ who now has a widow’s pension resulting from her gypsy marriage at the age of 15. The paper puts her on the masthead.

El Mundo notes that a lawyer has started a legal complaint against National Court judge, Baltasar Garzón, for tapping his phone in the Gürtel case. Ignacio Peláez will present his complaint to the Supreme Court today.

La Razón has the results of a new opinion poll from NC Report which shows the Socialists would lose 18 seats and 1,766,335 votes if a general election was held now. It puts the PP on 43.04% and the PSOE on 38.27% but has abstention at nearly 29%.
Different results however in the latest Publiscopio poll on the front page of Público today which headlines that the internal crisis in the PP is now costing them. It says they have fallen from 43% in October to 39.6% and shows the Socialists have recovered to 38%. The paper comments that Rajoy has wasted a good part of the five point lead he had two months ago. The paper notes that UPyD and IU have also gained support and both get more than 5% of the vote.

El País reports that the Greek stock market and Greek bonds fell dramatically yesterday because of the high debt in the country. It came after the Fitch agency reduced the solvency classification for the country.

ABC has a front page photo of Barack Obama talking to the Brookings institute. The photo highlights the letters KING above the President, and notes that he is planning to reduce taxes to generate employment.

La Razón says that the Pope has ‘invited’ journalists not to exaggerate bad news.

And finally,
Some good press for Cristiano Ronaldo. El Mundo has taken Madrid into the last 16 of the Champions league with two goals against Olympique de Marseille. (Via Original Article)