[Dave Elias]

"I wonder what they would have done if Gen.Franco was still in charge and found out there were 40 people cheering his troops death. Hmmmm? Brrrrrrrrrp!"

Franco was a murderous despot who would put Saddam to shame. Why you would speculate as how he would have handled thinks and implicitly honor him, seems curious to me.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

8 Head of CNI [Spanish Intelligence Service] in Iraq, Alberto Martinez, Was Among the Dead… ~ ABC [Madrid newspaper]  | 11/30/2003 | ÁNGEL GARCÍA MORENO

[Bringbackthedraft]

Franco was a general in a civil war, where both sides were guilty of murder. Had he lost the winners would have probably committed just as many attrocities as he did. At the time both sides were supported by two murderous dictators. I don't think Franco's Spain would have tolerated what occured in todays Iraq. It was the no nonsence retribution aspect that I was looking at. Lets see how the current government responds to this incident. By the way, Franco couldn't have been all bad (murderous despot) he brought Spain into NATO. But then again we've had other murderous despots as allies. (i.e. Chen Kai Chek a SEATO member.)(Who I understand killed probably more people that the total population of Spain.) Strange how we ended up with a "facist" ally against communism.
When you have incidents as these ocurring you begin to wonder how long before incidents like My Lai occur.(Remember the reports of all those smiling faces of the villagers as our guys tripped booby traps?) Unfortunately if we responded today in the same way that would play into their hands.
I guess I could have used King Ferdinand from Spain as example too but Franco is the most recent spanish ruler with an iron hand that I could come with. If you are looking to find pictures on my walls of Franco you are wasting your time. But I do have a large 1876 steel engraving of Lincoln and an autographed picture of U.S. Grant.

[Little Ray]

I will take Franco over the communists and anarchists he was fighting, any day.