Replies

Deep in their Monday night reports, the ABC, CBS and NBC
reporters acknowledged the view that Bush's setback was a victory
for terrorism. Raddatz of ABC concluded her piece: "Some
administration officials say this is a victory for terrorists, not
a defeat for George Bush." CBS's Pizzey noted how "some experts
say was the first time a terrorist attack has brought down a
Western government." NBC's David Gregory relayed: "U.S. officials
worry the Spanish election has sent a message of comfort to al-
Qaeda."
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More on March 15 coverage on ABC, CBS and NBC:

-- ABC's Good Morning America. Dan Harris led the program, the
MRC's Jessica Anderson noticed: "The question this morning, is
support for the U.S. occupation in Iraq dwindling among our allies
in Europe? Spain says it will withdraw its troops from Iraq by
this summer. ABC's Charles Glass has the latest now from Madrid."

Glass elaborated: "Spain's prime minister-elect, Jose Luis
Zapatero, swept the elections yesterday promising two things:
first, to withdraw Spain's 1300 troops from Iraq and then to
pursue the men who committed Thursday's train massacre. Zapatero
will take over an investigation that is beginning to turn up hard
evidence....Spain's new Socialist government hopes to avoid the
two mistakes that caused the right-wing governing party to lose
the election: first, support for the American war in Iraq and
second, the bungling of the investigation into the train deaths on
Thursday."
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-- CBS's Early Show. Allen Pizzey asserted from Madrid in his
lead story: "The overthrow of the right-wing Popular Party is
being called a surprise and punishment for its unswerving alliance
with Washington."
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Julie Chen set up the second story of the morning: "Meanwhile,
the attacks in Spain have added fuel to the already raging
political debate here at home over the war on terror. CBS News
correspondent Bill Plante is at the White House with more. Good
morning, Bill."

Plante began, as taken down by MRC analyst Brian Boyd: "Good
morning, Julie. It's bad news for the administration. Mr. Bush had
gone out of his way to praise Spain's former Prime Minister for
supporting the war against the opposition of so many in his
country. And Spain's presence in Iraq was an important if symbolic
member of the coalition....The withdraw of Spain's troops from
Iraq will not have a large impact on operations, but it will make
a large dent in the appearance of a cohesive coalition. Spain had
only 1,300 troops in Iraq but President Bush had counted former
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar as a key supporter for the war.

"With the Spanish election underway as White House officials
spoke and many in Spain questioning their government's support for
the U.S. led war in Iraq, the administration was reluctant to
credit al Qaeda with the deadly bombings."

After soundbites from Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and
Donald Rumsfeld, Plante concluded by hinting about how the
terrorists won: "But the danger now after the Spanish attack is
the perception in many parts of the world that it worked and drove
the U.S. allies out. That is something that this administration
will now have to deal with."
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-- NBC's Today. Co-host Campbell Brown, the MRC's Geoff
Dickens observed, intoned: "The Spanish elections are seen as a
blow to the U.S. and to President Bush. The incoming Prime
Minister is vowing to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. And many
are looking at this as retaliation for their involvement in the
first place. Stunning also because Prime Minister Aznar's party
was ahead in the polls just prior to those bombings, so a dramatic
turnaround here."
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News reader Natalie Morales set up a story: "A huge political
upset in Spain just days after terrorists killed 200 people. The
government there is voted out of office. NBC's Tom Costello is in
Madrid with more. Tom, good morning."

Costello explained: "Natalie, good morning to you. As
investigators pick up more clues of a possible Al Qaeda link to
last Thursday's attacks here the White House has lost a key ally
from the war in Iraq. Spaniards who awoke this morning to
headlines and pictures of a new Prime Minister as the attacks that
killed 200 last Thursday claimed yet another victim, the
government itself. A huge win for Spanish socialists but a huge
loss for Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's party, ahead in the
polls until terrorists struck four days ago."

Unidentified man: "They have achieved what they were looking
for which is actually to have an impact and actually taking
another [inaudible] on the suffering of a lot of people."

Costello: "The turning point came Saturday night. Thousands of
Spaniards took to the streets outraged at the government and the
possibility they've been targeted because of Spain's support for
the U.S. war in Iraq. Spanish police have arrested five men
including a Moroccan with alleged links to known Al Qaeda
operatives now in Spanish prisons. But authorities have not yet
authenticated a videotape in which Al Qaeda purportedly claims
responsibility for the attacks."

Lorenzo Vidino, terrorism expert: "It's a major big, Al Qaeda
attack in Europe, if it's confirmed to be Al Qaeda, of course."

Costello: "The new socialist Prime Minister Jose Luiz
Rodriguez Zapatero is planning to pull all 1300 troops out of
Iraq, Spanish troops. He calls the situation there, 'a disaster.'
Natalie."
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-- ABC's World News Tonight. Peter Jennings teased up top: "On
World News Tonight, the Spanish Prime Minister says the occupation
of Iraq is a disaster and threatens to pull Spanish troops out of
the U.S.-led coalition. A major blow to the Bush administration."

Martha Raddatz soon reported: "Across Spain, massive rallies
celebrated victory and change. Voters clearly believed that last
week's gruesome train bombings were a response to Spain's support
for the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Today the new Prime Minister, Jose
Louis Rodriguez Zapatero, promised, as he did during his campaign,
that the Spanish troops in Iraq would now be coming home...."
Raddatz concluded: "Some administration officials say this is a
victory for terrorists, not a defeat for George Bush. But, Peter,
those who are responsible for the attacks likely see it both
ways."
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-- CBS Evening News. Dan Rather touted: "It was also a defeat
for President Bush because, as CBS's Allen Pizzey reports, the
incoming socialist Prime Minister says he's ready to make good on
a campaign promise."

Pizzey, in Madrid, ran through Zapatero's anti-Bush comments
before outlining how "the pledge to pull the troops out was part
of election campaigning even before the train bombings, but there
is concern that doing it now will be seen as giving into
terrorism, which is not what people here want. Voters rebelled
because many saw an attempt by the government to hide evidence
that al-Qaeda was behind last week's train bombings, which some
experts say was the first time a terrorist attack has brought down
a Western government."
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-- NBC Nightly News. From Madrid, Dawna Friesen related:
"Behind the stunned silence of people here is anger, a belief that
this happened because Spain's government supported the war in Iraq
and that turned this country into a target for terrorists."
Friesen also noted: "Italy is urging travelers to be vigilant.
Although its government supported the war, one newspaper declared
today: 'Madrid is the proof that Bush was wrong.'"
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From the White House, David Gregory asserted: "For the
President it was a major blow, forced to watch one of his closest
allies pay a steep price for supporting the U.S. decision to
invade Iraq..." Gregory, however, also passed along White House
concerns: "U.S. officials worry the Spanish election has sent a
message of comfort to al-Qaeda, something the President said last
Friday a vote for Prime Minister Aznar's party would not have
done."

Bush on Spanish TV: "He is a man who understands the war on
terror. Clearly knows the stakes and knows that we must never give
an inch to the terrorists."