Dream on. Spain was an important member of the coalition forces that went into Iraq. This turn of events is both a literal and figurative victory for AQ and spells impending disaster for other coalition nations. AQ won the Spanish election and they will try to win in other nations using the exact same tactics prior to their national elections. As long as folks like you refuse to see the events in Spain for what they are, we will be just as surprised as the Spaniards when the next attack in the US comes in late October.
You notice that although the use of suicide hijackers armed with boxcutters and fake bombs was a smashing success on 911, that tactic has not been repeated. The crash of Flight 93 far from its target shows that the likely result of such an attack is quite different when the passengers are under no illusions that cooperation offers safety. Spain's 311 attack was on transportation as such rather than using mass transportation to attack other targets, and this more modest attack was not suicidal in nature.An attack on transportation just before an election would be another 311 - and would be a change in the MO of al Qaeda precisely in using the same MO twice. It is tempting to think that it might be effective elsewhere if it was effective, seemingly, in Spain - but notice that the tactic needs a cooperative opposition willing to risk being seen as the party of cowardice, and the example of Spain might raise questions about the loyalties of a party which did not disavow such implications.
Certainly the Democratic candidacy of Senator Kerry is precisely a candidacy willing to risk accusations of cowardice - and to hurl them back at Bush essentially for his having followed Kerry's advice rather than repeating Kerry's experience of having volunteered into the Vietnam-era military. That in fact seems to be the natural battleground of this campaign. If Bush is willing to fight that battle, Kerry will have a serious problem on his hands if some vicious attack is perpetrated against us on October 31.
For that reason such an attack on us might likely take the more subltle form of an attack on an ally plotted to inspire fear here without inducing a backlash here. Certainly that attack would not likely occur in Spain; backlash is about all that could be expected in such case.
Spot on.
In bowing (or as the case may be,appearing to bow)to terrorist tactics,you aren't removing yourself as a target,you are increasing the likelyhood of yourself and your allies being the subject of attacks.
Liberal thinking...great for about 5 minutes worth of peace and quiet...then look out!
God bless