New Spanish PM Blasts Bush, Blair; Accuses them of lying; Suggests force not answer to terrorism

Asia News Channel ^ | March 15, 2004 | nwrep

[nwrep]

MADRID : Spain's prime minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero vowed to withdraw troops from Iraq and criticised US President George W. Bush after Spanish voters ousted governing conservatives who took the country into the controversial war.

"The war in Iraq was a disaster, the occupation of Iraq is a disaster," Zapatero, 43, told Cadena Ser radio on Monday.

He spoke just before the European Union held three minutes' silence in tribute to the 200 people killed in last Thursday's bombings of crowded Madrid commuter trains.

An ongoing investigation into the attacks has found growing evidence they were carried out by Islamic extremists linked to Al-Qaeda as punishment for Spain's help in the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Voters turned out in force for Sunday's elections. Many of them expressed anger at retiring Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar when he cast his ballot, jostling and booing him while some shouted "Aznar: your war, our dead."

Zapatero, whose Socialist Party ended eight years of rule by Aznar's Popular Party (PP) after winning 43 percent of the ballots to the PP's 38 percent, said near-total public opposition to the Iraq war had been key.

He said that barring new developments in Iraq before June 30 -- the date the United States has promised to hand power over to an Iraqi provisional government -- Spain's 1,300 troops in Iraq "will return home" as he had promised before the elections.

The other occupying states will be contacted for consultations on withdrawing the soldiers, he said.

Zapatero also said Bush and his main ally, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, need to engage in "self-criticism".

"You can't bomb a people just in case" they pose a perceived threat, Zapatero said in statements just five days before the first anniversary of the March 20 start of the war.

"You can't organise a war on the basis of lies," he said, alluding to Bush's and Blair's insistence the war was justified by their belief -- so far unfounded -- that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction that posed an imminent threat.

"Wars such as that which has occurred in Iraq only allow hatred, violence and terror to proliferate," he said.

The head of the EU executive arm, European Commission chief Romano Prodi, agreed in an interview published by Italy's La Stampa newspaper Monday.

"It is clear that using force is not the answer to resolving the conflict with terrorists," Prodi said. "Terrorism is infinitely more powerful than a year ago," and all of Europe now feels threatened, he told the paper.

The loss of the United States' and Britain's main ally has left Bush especially looking exposed as he faces the November presidential election.

While Zapatero fielded congratulations from French President Jacques Chirac, South African President Thabo Mbeki and other world leaders, Bush had yet to make a call.

[raloxk]

new PM of spain will definitely be a one termer. Maybe his govt will fall before the next elelction since he doesnt have a majority

[You Dirty Rats]

Steyn's next column on the Spanish Election will be a classic.

What we really need is someone to do a political cartoon of the New Spanish PM prostrate on the ground, praying islamic-style towards the figure of Osama Bin Laden.

[Barset]

Excellent! Thank you for clearing that up. They are still foolish people. b.

[Attillathehon]

Prodi said. "Terrorism is infinitely more powerful than a year ago," and all of Europe now feels threatened, he told the paper.

That's because they can't operate freely in America anymore, so they're attacking in Europe. Time to take the WOT seriously Europe!

[Stonewall Jackson]

We scored touchdowns in Afghanistan and Iraq and got field goals for the deaths or capture of many of the Al-Qaeda leaders, the capture of Saddam, and the capitulation of Libya. However, the terrorists got a touchdown on their opening drive on 9-11, field goals in Bali, Kenya, Tunisia, and Turkey, and another touchdown with a two-point conversion for Madrid.

If you add these scores up, they still have the lead, 26-23. We've got to get Osama and his lunatics out of action as soon as possible, before Kerry uses the sheeples fears to sneak into the White House and forfeits the game on account of his gutlessness.

[Longbow1969]

Some good points here.

"We've got to get Osama and his lunatics out of action as soon as possible, before Kerry uses the sheeples fears to sneak into the White House and forfeits the game on account of his gutlessness."

I agree with you here to a point. The problem I have is that I don't think the terror war is anywhere close to being over. I think this is a clash of civilizations. Catching Bin Laden and his cronies is only a small part of it.

John Kerry may well win in November, infact I am leaning in the direction that he may be. Saying that, I am not the defeatist many assume I am by saying such a thing. I just, flat out, don't think the West (to include the United States) really understands the war we are engaged in. The West, even the US, is attempting to fight a sort of politically correct pinprick conflict - assuming that our enemy is just a few bad apples and fanatics. This is the wrong approach, and everytime I hear Bush (no matter how well intentioned he may be) say that Islam is a "religion of peace" with a straight face, I believe that even he is trying to avoid acceptance of the awful horror of what we are really up against.

In the long term, militant Islam, an ideology the majority of Muslims are edging every closer towards, will be defeated. And if Kerry wins it will only be a setback - just part and parcel of the failures the West will need to endure before it is really prepared to engage in the fight in a way that will eventually achieve victory.

Bush is indeed a man whom generally grasps the threat, and history will regard him as one of the first Western leaders to really stand against our enemies, but American and European populations just aren't ready yet to face up to the challenge......net yet anyway.

Longbow

[TexasRepublic]

"french look like noble warriors"

That's the ultimate oxymoron, fella. ;-)

[txzman]

"The Norwegians did just fine under Vidkun Quisling during World War II."

Yoooou don't know your history mate. The Norwegians suffered executions, deportations, imprisonment just like all the other countries.

Vichy France was no picnic either if you happned to believe in freedom, or were a Jew, or a Gypsy or a Communist, or an intellectual, or a former military officer who would not serve teh Germans.

[Piranha]

You're right to call me on my earlier post. I was very upset this morning and my comments were way overstated. Still, those Norwegians who were NOT Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and/or communists, and who were able to live with their moral cowardice and utter lack of integrity, were not particularly harmed.

Obviously, I am not arguing for this approach to totalitarians, murderous terrorists or even schoolyard bullies. My point is that some people are so self-centered that they think that the right thing to do is to ignore man's inhumanity to man, as long as they are not directly attacked. I think that's what happened in Spain.

[Al Mctwaine]

Hey, come on!
Talk to the Spanish soldiers in Iraq. They don't want to come back! Talk to the forty something percent of us who voted for the Popular Party! We want to stay in Iraq! On the other hand, people voted thinking "Please please don't hurt us" That large turnout at the polls was meant to say "This is a democracy and we are not afraid" I didn't vote for the socialists, but I am sure the intention of the voters was to punish the current government for mishandling the crisis. People don't forgive spin around here.
And I must recognise that I liked the new goverment first decisions. Redouble antiterrorist efforts and designating a hawk as Defence Secretary. Things are not as simple as they seem.

[petercooper]

Talk to the forty something percent of us who voted for the Popular Party!"

Ok, so 60% of spaniards are stupid. We have 50% stupid in this country