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.

[conservativecorner]

311 Suspect Linked to 911 Planner
Madrid Suspect Linked to 9/11 Figure

One of the three Moroccans arrested in the Madrid train bombings was a follower of a suspected al-Qaida member jailed in Spain for allegedly helping plan the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, according to court documents reviewed by The Associated Press. It was the latest suggestion that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist group may have been involved in the bombings.

A Sept. 17, 2003 indictment calls Jamal Zougam — arrested in Thursday's attacks — a "follower" of Imad Yarkas, the alleged leader of Spain's al-Qaida cell who was jailed for allegedly helping plan the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. Yarkas, whose alias is Abu Dahdah, remains in Spanish custody.
[...]

Spain's El Pais newspaper, citing the interior ministry, reported all three Moroccans have links to Yarkas. Authorities in Morocco said they could not comment on the report.

[goldstategop]

Its more evidence for Robert Kagan's thesis in Of Paradise And Power that the U.S and Europe are going in separate ways. We're seeing a rather messy divorce in the works between the two sides of the Atlantic.

[BluH2o]

"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.

Not so ... terrorism has been significantly reduced as a result of the U.S. led WOT. Granted, from time to time Muslim terrorism cells will emerge and attack as they did in Spain. This happened because they perceived the Spaniards to be weak and vacillating; the naivety and cowardly behavior of the Spanish electorate proved the terrorists right.

[Moby Grape]

My god,...what a fool....Spain has been annexed by FRANCE.

(actually, this lying idiot is a SOCLIALST, and they are the ENEMIES of democracy).

[traumer]

Good bye, friend !

And so the story goes, LA-LA-LAA...

[bornintexas]

"But, I thought Iraq had nothing to do with terrorism?"

You know socialist liberals....they have to have everything 'both' ways.

Did you happen to hear the interview with Imus and JD Hayworth this morning? I don't' usually watch Imus and was channel surfing and ran across it. It was a pretty heatd argument. Imus was getting on to JD for 6 soldiers dying over the weekend because of no body armor. Then proceeded to say, "They died for NOTHING!" I was furious. I tried to call his show and couldn't find a number, so I emailed everyone at NBC. Can your imagine what family members of soldiers that died thought? Sickening.

[Lazamataz]

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

NUKE ... ummmm.... errrrr....

......uhhhh.....

NUKE .... Madrid?

[Fiddlstix]

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

He Now Suggests force not answer to terrorism......

Perhaps He can also suggest just what is!!!!
Damn IDIOT!

[Unicorn]

No force????? What planet does this guy live on?

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Do they not remember Neville Chamberlain? Perhaps they are that ignorant.

When Jesus said the meek will inherit the earth he never said that there would be no wolves to prey on those sheep!

[areafiftyone]

The planet Peacenik! Where most liberal democrats live!

[Spruce]

Cowards. Damned cowards.
How do you say "Let's not roll!" in spanish?

[SevenDaysInMay]

El Cid is dead. So is Old Europe, so blinded by socialist utopianism that they will not see.

Utopians are in for a carpet ride on their knees to Mecca, and still there will be no peace for infedels.

Islam's Terror War is upon us all, for the soul of civilized man.

Spain is afraid, but that is not the terror as taught in islam's holy scriptures. Dar al-islam commands that all of the Iberian Penninsula with half of France and the Balkins be reconquored.

Old Europe has every reason to be afraid. Democracy allows them to fall without a fight.

[ZULU]

"It is clear that using force is not the answer to resolving the conflict with terrorists," Prodi said."

Right. You just raise your arms in a French salute, surrender and Bingo - NO TERROR!

How brilliant!

Me, I belong to the Genghis Khan school of political philosophy. If somebody terrorizes you, you terrorize them back - in spades!

But that's the difference between a eunuch and a man, Prodi.

[EllaMinnow]

Maybe the stupid party should have passed federal election standards since while they were in control of the house and senate, but no.

They did. President Bush signed it on October 29, 2002.

[kjam22]

"no permitanos el rollo"....

or you could say "somos pollos grandes y nosotros tenemos miedo"

[syriacus]

Hmmm....I wonder if any Spanish civilians will care to join our fight?

Civilian Americans have fought for Europeans, after all.

From Americans in the RAF.

Most Yanks who joined the RAF for the Battle of Britain did so claiming to be Canadians. This was due to the fact that the blatantly pro Nazi American ambassador to Britain would revoke the passport and American citizenship of any American joining the RAF.

And that pro Nazi ambassador was Joseph Kennedy, father of John Kennedy.

[ladtx]

Funny how France, Germany and now Spain are quaking before a few terrorists. I would think, Napoleon, Bismarck, Ferdinand V of Castile and Isabella I of Aragon would be turning in their graves about now. Sort of sad to see once great powers turned into quivering jelly.

[Dr Snide]

oh no, how can we go on withought Spain's 1,300 troops in Iraq. The good news is that Poland has already stepped up and said they are willing to replace Spain's troops with their own. God Bless the Poles, its amazing how the closer to dictatorship a country is in its history the more they understand Iraq in its proper context.

[danamco]

As I said before, we need to punish Spain.


They have already punished themselves. This new "P.M" is a typical Dim coward like the rest of them!