2004-March-14 "A Black Day in Spain"

Critical Thinking and Stategic Analysis | 03/19/2004 | ChinaThreat

[ChinaThreat]

Spain's change of government was reason for celebration in the madrassas of Pakistan and the shops of Gaza last Sunday. It was a brief respite in a series of setbacks the radical muslim movement has experienced over the last year. The first major western power appeared to have capitulated to the political pressure generated from a spectacular and deadly terrorist strike in Madrid.

Spanish elections held on Sunday, less than a week after the bombings, had put the Socialist party in charge and significant policy changes were to follow. It was made clear before the election that a vote for the socialists would result in a removal of Spanish Forces from the coalition's forces.

There has been a nuanced debate over the last week regarding the motivating factor behind the Spanish people's democratically implemented choice. Some of Spain's detractors accuse the Spaniards of abondining the war on terror and capitulating to terrorists. Its defenders prefer to argue that the Spanish people were teaching Aznar a lesson about dishonesty or going against the public opinion. The truth probably lies somwhere in between as with most things.

The disturbing aspect of the entire debacle is that the impact probably does not bode well for those behind the planning of the war on terror.

Regardless of the Spanish voter's intent, it is clear that the Islamists view the outcome as a victory for their cause. The nature of the event adds fuel to the fanatical islamists movement and only validates their efforts. Spain's best option here was to keep the status quo if only to spite the terrorists and dissuade them from using that method again. Spain basically said to the Islamists, "We now agree that you are right and we should not be in Iraq. PS....Please don't kill us anymore."

The evil miscreants that make up Al Qaeda and its other cancerous tendrils, are delusional misfits who have been brainwashed into some horrible form of religion straight out of Dante's Inferno. They are really just bumbling idiots. But they have been instilled with a hate for the west that consumes their own logical ability to be rational. Mixing these fanatical madmen with technology and a Cold War's worth of millitary surplus equipment, the world is in for much more suffering. Sunday was a great day for the terrorists of the world. Made possible and sponsored by Spain's over reaction. Regardless of the sincerity of the Spanish people's intentions ,they have made a choice that will cost more Spanish and American lives.

[BikerNYC]

I think the vote also had a lot to do with voter resentment over the out-and-out lying the government engaged in to try and blame the train bombing on ETA.

[ChinaThreat]

I agree. It still benefited the terrorists though. It is a reason for them to keep going.

[Cicero]

I also thought that Aznar handled it badly. But it still is a victory for the terrorists. And it's still an indication of how stupid voters can be in the crunch. They voted to appease and reward the terrorists who had just murdered their fellow countrymen because they were in a snit about political mishandling?

Where are their priorities?