" I don't judge an anti-terror policy by how many suspects are arrested after the fact."
"How would you judge it?"
By preventing terrorist attacks and killing terrorists.
"I doubt Al Qaeda wanted them to continue to hunt their leaders."
That's a really weak argument. Just because the Spanish haven't entirely abandoned their own domestic security means the terrorists didn't win?
When you allow your attacker to choose your government, you have surrendered. Period.
"By preventing terrorist attacks and killing terrorists."
Yeah that's what I figured. But by that standard, Spanish involvement in the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq evidently did not prevent the attack on Madrid. Analysis of the Spanish elections is pretty subjective, my analysis was that the main effect of the attack was to boost turnout. The extra turnout was liable to be people who were anti-Aznar, but were motivated to vote by the attacks and his reaction to them.
"That's a really weak argument. Just because the Spanish haven't entirely abandoned their own domestic security means the terrorists didn't win?"
It's a pretty weak argument to say that the Spanish government took one decision (which was one the people wanted all along) which you define as surrendering to terrorism, ignoring all the other steps they continue to take to fight terrorism. As weak as arguing that the US decision to withdraw bases from Saudi Arabia (as demanded by Osama bin Laden) constitutes a surrender.
"That's a really weak argument. Just because the Spanish haven't entirely abandoned their own domestic security means the terrorists didn't win?
When you allow your attacker to choose your government, you have surrendered. Period."
The Spanish chose their own government. If you are claiming that the Spanish should have voted for B just because Al Qaeda asked them to vote for A then you are the one saying the Spanish should have based their vote on what Al-Qaeda said.
I think the Spanish should have just voted regardless of what Al-Qaeda said, and I think that is what they did.