[DeuceTraveler]

Since we were all interested what this means for the future of Europe, I decided to play with a timeline for the next month or so. I guess I'm just bored:



March 11th, 2004 – An Al Queda backed terrorist group detonates multiple bombs in Madrid, Spain killing more than 200 people and injuring more than 1,400 others.

March 14th, 2004 – Socialist Jose Zapetero, who promises to pull Spanish troops from Iraq, wins the Spanish elections in a surprise upset. Before the Madrid bombings the conservative party was expected to win. Notable quotes of the time:
Chief of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, told Italy's La Stampa, "It is clear that using force is not the answer to resolving the conflict with terrorists."
"The war in Iraq was a disaster, the occupation of Iraq is a disaster," Zapatero.
And numerous quotes by the Spanish man-on-the-street hoping that with the Socialists in power Al Queda would stop their attacks on Spain.

March 15th, 2004 – The “Servants of Allah, the Powerful and Wise One” threaten France with promises of attacks if the ban on headscarves is not rescinded. The government asks the populace not to panic. Theories begin to brew on the socialist left that Bush allowed the attack in Madrid to win the conservatives their election, but that his plans backfired. Other theories in France abound that the French conservative party is behind the headscarf threats in order to scare people into their party.

March 17th, 2004 – The “Servants of Allah, the Powerful and Wise One” begin to test French anti-terrorist procedures in Paris by planting suspicious objects around the city and observing law enforcement agents.

March 18th, 2004 – Secretly, the Spanish Socialist party and Al Queda representatives begin to test the waters on a future cease-fire agreement.

March 19th, 2004 – An explosive device is found outside an administrative building in Paris. It is easily detected and disarmed, but the French government gets the message. News of the bomb does not reach most major news outlets in France as the government tightens control of the story in its nearly state run media. Because of the regional elections in two days, French officials contact “Servants of Allah, the Powerful and Wise One” sympathizers in the French Council for the Muslim Religion (CFCM) and agree to rescind the headscarf ban in the following months if there are no attacks that can threaten the elections.

March 21st, 2004 – The French center-right party of Chirac maintains power in the regional elections despite a slight bump to the socialist popularity coming from the Socialist Party victories in Spain the previous week. No terrorist violence is reported.

April 1st, 2004- The Abu Hafs al-Masri – Zapatero Armistice is secretly conducted. The Spanish Socialist Party plans to remove all support on the war against terrorism and actively follow an anti-American, anti-“Imperialist” foreign policy position. Abu Hafs al-Masri and Al Queda agree to cease their attacks “while they maintain satisfied of Spain’s compliance” to their demands.

April 7th, 2004 – Musharraf in Pakistan evades another assassination attempt on his life. At the same time, the joint American-Pakistani operation along the Afghan border grinds to a halt with little success and an only an angered, mobilized to show for it. There is suspicion that sympathizers in the government tipped off Taliban and Al Queda members. All but three dozen sought militants easily evade capture. Many more tribal supporters and twenty Pakistani soldiers are killed in clashes.

April 20th, 2004 – Clashes with non-Iranian regime enforces and civilians erupt in Gorgan, Iran when enforces attack a woman for revealing her face. Five civilians are killed and many more injured. A peaceful protest demonstrates against the deaths in Tehran and consists of nearly 100 people. The demonstrators disperse within an hour and before the regime can react, causing fear in the administration that the protests in Tehran are becoming better organized.

April 23rd, 2004 - The French government opens talks with the French Council for the Muslim Religion (CFCM) to discuss rescinding of the ban on religious symbols such as headscarves. Muslim leaders among the CFCM will soon accuse the French government of not taking the issue seriously and stalling.

April 24th, 2004 – Several Syrian publicists are arrested for distribution of pamphlets demanding reform in the government.

[Bonaparte]

That's an intriguing timeline you've made. Flag me in April. Let's see how close you got. There's no doubt in my mind that the terrorists, clearly seeing europe's cowardice, will press their advantage just as they always have.

The problem with appeasing bullies is that it always incites them to further outrages. They can't be assuaged, only stomped. Same thing with paying off a blackmailer. His demands will only continue to escalate. There is only one response that makes any sense at all, and that is to hunt them down and finish them off in whatever way fits the situation.