Why Would Spain Sink the Maine?

Why Would Spain Sink the Maine?

Put yourself in the position of Spain. Your empire is crumbling before your very eyes. Your colonies are slipping out of your grasp and people are generally displeased with your treatment of your people. Even worse though is there is a new rising world power, America! You know that people have mixed ideas of imperialism and slowly they are looking for a reason to police The world and expand there influence on other countries creating bonds to trade on. With all this resting on the line While a few men such as President Mckinley hold back the dis-comtempt of the people why would you sink a boat you know would result in war.
With all this going on the spanish also invited us to come to Cuba. they had us join them for dinner on the ship for americans to enjoy. The spanish military may not of liked us much but to keep there fragile empire from war the only chance Spain had was to have us at bay. However with americans ready for war and yellow journalism Bashing the spanish Mckinley had no choice but to go to war so to stay popular with the people.
"Both the Spanish and American governments investigated the explosion.  Neither could produce reasonably conclusive evidence, and each blamed the other.  The Spanish said it was an accident, and while the US didn't rule this out, they said the Spanish somehow caused it."
http://library.thinkquest.org/18355/the_sinking_of_the_uss_maine.html 
This was in conclusion of the first investigation of the sinking later to be disproven by National Geographic Society when they did an investigation in 1999. All investigations agreed that an explosion of the forward magazines caused the destruction of the ship, but different conclusions were reached as to how the magazines could have exploded
Weather this explosion was an accident or sabotage  we can likely agree that it was not in Spains interest to go to war with america leaving it to Self sabotage or Cuban rebels who would have gained most in seeking americas help. By blowing up the ship cuban rebels would have finally given america the incentive they lacked to go to war. 
Some conclude that The US may have been involved wishing to go to war as to try new military might and further economic gain in Journalism.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Maine_(ACR-1)
http://library.thinkquest.org/18355/the_sinking_of_the_uss_maine.html