Spain Votes in Election After Attacks

Associated Press ^ | March 14, 2004

[Unam Sanctam]

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Spaniards voted Sunday in a general election thrown wide open by a reported al-Qaida claim that it staged the Madrid rail bombings to punish the government for supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Ruling Popular Party candidate Mariano Rajoy led most polls until Thursday's bombing, which killed 200 and injured 1,500 others. His conservative party had been projected to win most seats in the 350-member Congress of Deputies, and maybe retain its outright majority.

Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's government initially blamed the Basque separatist group ETA for the rail attack.

But just hours before polls opened, Interior Minister Angel Acebes announced the arrests of three Moroccans and two Indians and later disclosed the existence of a videotape in which Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror group claims responsibility.

A speaker on the videotape said the bombings were ``a response to your collaboration with the criminals Bush and his allies'' and threatened more attacks, Acebes said in a hastily called news conference after midnight.

The news was broadcast on national TV and could sway the election.

Spaniards including the main opposition candidate, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of the Socialist party, massively opposed last year's U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, which Aznar endorsed. He later sent 1,300 peacekeeping troops.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside Popular Party headquarters in Madrid and other cities Saturday night demanding the truth about who carried out the bombing and shouting criticism of the government.

``No more cover-ups,'' read a banner carried by the protesters, who were being watched by riot police.

Interviews with some of the millions of Spaniards who rallied for peace across the country the day after the bombing showed they felt Aznar provoked the terrorist attack by endorsing the war.

The Socialists pointed to the government's shifting version of events, which first focused blame ETA, but then included Islamic suspects after a van was found in the Madrid suburb where three of the four bombed trains originated. Inside were verses from the Quran, and detonators.

The political campaign was bitter between Rajoy, 48, a veteran Cabinet minister under Aznar, and Rodriguez Zapatero, 43, a lawyer, member of parliament and his party's general-secretary.

Rajoy refused to debate with the Socialist.

Before the attacks, polls gave Rajoy's party a 3-5 percentage point lead over the Socialists in the race for the 350-seat Congress of Deputies. In the outgoing legislature, Aznar's party had 183 seats.

Aznar did not seek re-election, complying with a pledge he made years ago to not seek a third, four-year term.

Asked how he thought the terrorist attack might sway voters, Rajoy said in an interview published Saturday, ``I don't know. I hope not at all.''

[Unam Sanctam]

I'm quite worried about this election. I hope the Spanish electorate will be mature enough not to blame Aznar for the misdeeds of what appears to be Islamist terrorists. But Spain did have one of the highest anti-war public opinions in Europe, up in the 90%s I believe.

[jocon307]

The Spanish better not cave, that's all I can say. Because if they think APPEASEMENT will work, well, they are wrong. It's been tried and it has failed.

[prion]

Interviews with some of the millions of Spaniards who rallied for peace across the country the day after the bombing showed they felt Aznar provoked the terrorist attack by endorsing the war.

Let's hope this is just the AP being the AP.

[Unam Sanctam]

Right, let's hope that "some of the millions of Spaniards who rallied for peace across the country" means something like "one in every fifty".

[ambrose]

Interviews with some of the millions of Spaniards who rallied for peace across the country the day after the bombing showed they felt Aznar provoked the terrorist attack by endorsing the war.

Yeah.. 5? 10? 100,000? 500,000?

[ambrose]

Think of this as a trial run for the forces of evil. If this attack succeeds in ushering the Socialists to power, you can look for them to try and repeat this tactic in the United States this Fall...

[HarryCaul]

I have no idea how the electorate was leaning before the attacks, but I feel pretty certain the Socialists are gonna win now. I have no faith in the Spanish people, sorry.

[ambrose]

The conservative party was set to win... it was just a question of by how much.

[dasboot]

*reported al-Qaida claim that it staged the Madrid rail bombings to punish the government for supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq.*

Hey! Wait: why would Osama give a bin Laden about the war in Iraq......? (Socialist press "oops" . No useful idiot will notice, though.)

[Reader of news]

If the Socialists won, Spain would surrender.

[HarryCaul]

Actually, it's the fact that they're western Europeans that makes me lack faith in them politically. I wouldn't count on a western European at all when the going got rough. Not totally fair, but they've earned it the last couple of years.

Maybe they'll surprise me today.

[AntiGuv]

Maybe they'll surprise me today.

Heh! You and me both. If they don't vote the Socialists into power it'll sure shock the hell out of me.

[Reader of news]

Mariano, hunt the terrorrists!!!

[livius]

Sadly, as much as I love Spain, I'll be stunned if they have enough guts not to vote Socialist. They really think appeasement is the way to go.

Actually, I listened to radio reports of the mini-riots sponsored by the left in front of PP headquarters all over Spain last night, and I think that many Spaniards may not even vote today.

But again, I could be wrong....hope I am!

[Heatseeker]

Sadly, as much as I love Spain, I'll be stunned if they have enough guts not to vote Socialist. They really think appeasement is the way to go.

I fear you are right. It's Germany all over again.

[rrrod]

i too am worried about this election. the peure hatred for america and bush is rampant in euroscum land, thanks to the press and socialist.. if they turn against us and join the germans and the french it will be a sad day. but remember this, as long as we keep men and women of principle and courage in office we have nothing to fear...euroscum needs the US much more than we need them. i wish the best for all but germany, france and others have picked their side..so be it. this talk of them helping us is pure trash. some german apologist like to say they have troops in afghanistan..true , sitting in barracks while real troops are out fighting. this is an insult to US and UK troops especially

[livius]

I just heard that voting is proceding normally in Spain, although there are certain places where the left is gathering and demonstrating outside of the polling places. Fighting broke out in front of the polling place where Aznar cast his vote.

It's about noon in Spain right now, and they have many more hours of voting ahead of them.

[tkathy]

If this succeeds, there will be AQ hits all over the world before elections. Very scarey.

[Miss Marple]

I am worried about a terrorist strike here in the US as we get closer to the election. We have our own home-grown nutcases who would be happy to help the terrorists, if only to get that "eeevil" George Bush out of the White House.

I have said since the fight over Homeland Security that I think the democrats are counting on that. It seems obvious to me, looking back on the statements of Bob Graham, when he was still running for president, that the Intelligence Committee has information on how likely another attack is, and the democrats are using this information to prepare a ready response when it occurs.

In fact, given that the socialists in Spain have apparently used the Madrid attack to attemp to win what was otherwise a losing election for them, I am beginning to think they were in cahoots with the terrorists.

I also would not be surprised if certain radical elements within the Rat party are, also.

Well, I have now managed to cover myself in tin-foil. I think I will go get another cup of coffee.