Annan: Spain Blaming ETA Affected Election

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 3-16-2004 | Edith M. Lederer

[blam]

Annan: Spain Blaming ETA Affected Election

Tuesday March 16, 2004 11:46 PM

By EDITH M. LEDERER

Associated Press Writer

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday that Spain's initial insistence that Basque terrorists were behind last week's Madrid train bombings was a factor in Sunday's upset election victory by the Socialists.

But he said there were other factors including strong public opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq and an al-Qaida claim the bombings were punishment for Spain's support for the United States.

Annan was asked if terrorism affected the election which saw Socialist leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, an opponent of the war, defeat conservative Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, one of President Bush's staunchest allies.

``I think the events in Spain need to be looked at very critically,'' Annan told reporters.

He cited ``many factors'' in the election: ``One was the question of who did it, and whether the public felt they got a full, clear picture from the government of what was going on. There was a question of the large number of the population having been opposed to the war, being reminded of the war by the claims made by the terrorists who committed the attack.''

``But I think what is important, and what this underscores, is that we need international cooperation - working across borders - to defeat and contain terrorism,'' Annan said.

Zapatero has promised to fulfill a campaign pledge to withdraw Spain's 1,300 troops serving in the U.S.-led coalition by June 30 unless the United Nations takes over. The U.S.-led coalition is expected to hand over power to an Iraqi body on that date.

Annan said the Spanish government's initial insistence that ETA was responsible for the bombings, which the Security Council endorsed, demonstrate the difficulties of acting too quickly.

Immediately after Thursday's bombings, which killed 200 people and injured 1,400 others, Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio and Spanish diplomats here and in other capitals started lobbying for a resolution blaming ETA.

Spain is currently serving a two-year term on the Security Council, and just hours after the blasts its 15 members unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the bombings ``perpetrated by the terrorist group ETA.''

But as evidence mounted that Islamic extremists with links to al-Qaida were behind the bomb blasts, the Security Council was left in the embarrassing position of blaming the Basque separatists.

[blam]

Now I'm relieved...who would have guessed.

[cripplecreek]

Kofi Annan needs to back the truck up. Didn't he also make comments that this was not islamic terrorists early on?

[richnwise]

Looks like Coffee Bean Anaan screwed up again! Who would have figured?

[Guillermo]

I don't know if he did, but I tend to agree with him on this one.

If Aznar had of come out swinging against the Mohammedans who did this, who knows...the election might have turned out differently.

[Shermy]

When did Kofi become an expert on what Spanish people think?

Why is the head of the UN offering an opinion about a nation's election?

He's covering up for the fact that the Spaniards reacted to the bombing and Iraq, not the Spanish govt's contention, for 12 hours, that ETA was involved.

[RightWhale]

Kofi Annan shows up late to the party. Not good for a leader to be tardy.

[cherry]

the newest talking points ....it was Spain's too quickly pointing fingers at known , local terrorists.....

sure...

of course,if they waited weeks or months or even years to take a guess who did this, they still would be in hot water....

[cripplecreek]

It certainly played a part.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Kofi speaks.

[Lijahsbubbe]

When did Kofi become an expert on what Spanish people think?

Why is the head of the UN offering an opinion about a nation's election?

Exactly. I wish he would shut his pie hole.

[Guillermo]

It could have betrayed many hard-core supporters.

Imagine if there was a massive terrorist attack and Bush came out blaming "Angry, white (male) NRA members?"

[Guillermo]

How would you feel if there was a massive terrorist attack and Bush came out blaming "Angry, white (male) NRA members?"

Would you be neutral, less or more inclined to vote for him?

[TeleStraightShooter]

To further extrapolate your point: what if the OK City bombing went off on November 3rd 1996? {instead of 4/19/1995}; and BillyJeff Clinton came out of the box and blamed the "Vast RightWing Conspiracy"?

I think the same result would happen here in the USA as Spain: Many non-voters would be pissed-off enough to show up and vote against who they perceived to be a slanderer

[TeleStraightShooter]

concur

[MamaLucci]

Only the leftist media would continue to give credence to what Kofi and his corrupt cronies at the UN think.
How many barrels of oil did you and your son get from Saddam, Kofi?

[Berliner Baer]

Kofi Annan needs to back the truck up. Didn't he also make comments that this was not islamic terrorists early on?

Well, "his" UN did so in a resolution, and Annan said in another newswire that Spain apologized to the UN for pressuring to include ETA as the blamed party.

Aznar really blew the election.