Socialists claim Spanish victory (America's allies lose)

theaustralian.news.com.au ^ | March 15, 2004 | AFP

[Destro]

Source: AFP

Socialists claim Spanish victory

March 15, 2004

SPAIN'S opposition Socialist Party today claimed victory in the nation's general election and said it was in a position to form a government.

An official count of 77 per cent of the ballots showed the opposition Socialists (PSOE) with a clear lead.

The ruling Popular Party (PP) had 37.1 per cent of the vote and the Socialists 43.1 per cent, the interior ministry said.

The turnout stood at 77 per cent.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

The problem is a civilization thing. The great danger from the third world was predicted in 1932. Right now "it ain't looking too good!"

[American Infidel]

It will be interesting to see how this unfolds in the U.S. For the past year we have been hearing 2 things: 1)There is no link between Al Qaida and Saddam Hussein 2)The mission in Iraq was a unilateral one. If there is no link between aq and sh, then why would they (al qaida) attack a U.S. ally in the Iraq effort? Also, if the war was a "unilateral" effort, then it would be impossible that the cowardly (sorry bill maher)terrorist attacks in Spain would be attributed to Spain's support in Iraq, because according to the lefties, we had no support in the 'unilateral' war effort. The socialist party should start distributing prayer rugs and burquas immediately, as well as posting signs pointing to mecca, because they have basically sent a message to the islamofacist terrorists, that all you have to do is hit us with a bomb and we will instantly capitulate to your demands. Expect Spain to institute islamic law within the next 50 years in order to appease the terrorists. A Kerry presidency is not an option.

[sarasota]

This election was driven by fear. But what did the "polls" show pre-terrorist strike?

[Finalapproach29er]

I think this pretty much guarantees the US will be messed with before election '04.

[kropcke]

I can't cite any url's, but I'm pretty certain that Azner's party was in the clear lead from what I remember reading.

[empirekin768]

Ah Destro, PSOE reaction once in power, is going to be an entirely different thing. They've been very cautious about how they've addressed the AQ angle thus far you will note.

The prospect of AQ terrorism as a device used to destablise national elections is a spectre of fear for all parties in Europe, who have all taken hard lines against AQ. EU pressure on Spain will not be what you are expecting.

[Redcoat LI]

True,Neither Italys' nor Spains' involvement in the War on Terror was very popular with the public,and the strategy seems to be to pick off un-friendly governments through killing of civilians just before an election.

When is Italy going to have another election that could change their current government?

[empirekin768]

Within the margins of error in most polls though Kropcke. It's amazing that the PP managed to get two terms and implement what they did. The only thing that kept the PP in power was Catalonia. The PSOE is the party of the broader electorate.

[kropcke]

I can't help but to think how pretty the middle east would look if it was made out of glass.

[Thinkin' Gal]

very clever :) i suck at math.

Well I hadn't considered adding them up, but since you brought up the math:

911 + 311 + 112 = 1334

That was the year on the Muslim calendar, of the "Great Arab Revolt". Hmmm.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=1334+great+arab+revolt

[Finalapproach29er]

Italy averages an election/every 14-16 months (est) since WW II.

The coalition in Italy will fall soon I would guess. Give it 6 months.

[AlbionGirl]

We're going to have to kill them by the millions, and even then, these madmen are so mad, that I'm not sure it would make a difference, but I sure would be willing to give it a shot. Problem is, without the aid of other Nations how are you going to stage the battles, get the airspace, etc? It's a nightmare scenario, that's for certain!

I know this is going to sound terrible, but I'm going to say it anyway. If it's true that FDR knew that Pearl Harbor was a fait accompli and let it happen anyway, I can see why he did it. And, if some similar set of circumstances befall some other contemporary target, no matter where that is, it might behoove our leaders and civilization at large to let it happen, if in so doing it became the impetus for the coalescing of the esprit du corp of the World.

This is the biggest fight the World has known, and that, IMO is not arguable.

[Renfield]

I was planning on taking a vacation in Spain in the Spring of '05; now I will have to reconsider.

[sarasota]

What does the number 112 signify?

[Redcoat LI]

I agree with everything you said.

We need to do what needs to be done.

We'll lead,the rest of the world can follow,or get out of the way.

[Destro]

France has a right wing or conservative (whatever the term is) govt. Chirac is not a socialist.

[empirekin768]

Well that's an optimistic take. I hope you're right and the Socialists show some backbone against terrorism, although the Spanish electorate has served to embolden the terrorists with their craven surrender to the terrorists' dictates.

 

Well, even if I am wrong and the opposite (although unlikely) comes to pass, that is Spain completely withdraws from the WOT and begs AQ not to hurt them...so what? We're a few years into a multi-decade or even century long struggle here. During the course of this conflict, governments will rise and fall. The PP wasn't going to stay in power for the next fifty years anyway.

What I believe this will ultimately do, is cause a realignment in Spanish politics much as it did in the US, where both parties become nominally anti-Terror. The investigation and the response now becomes the PSOE's responsibility, which will have quite an effect on their collective perceptions of the events.

 

[Thinkin' Gal]

From post 95:

911: US Emergency Number
311: US Non-Emergency Number
112: EU Emergency number

(112 = US presidential elections, November 2, 2004)

[piasa]

MARCH 2003 : (REPORTS SURFACE THAT 9/11 CONSPIRATOR GALAN WAS INVITED TO PARTY BY IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO SPAIN) An alleged terrorist accused of helping the 11 September conspirators was invited to a party by the Iraqi ambassador to Spain under his al-Qaeda nom de guerre, according to documents seized by Spanish investigators. Yusuf Galan, who was photographed being trained at a camp run by Osama bin Laden, is now in jail, awaiting trial in Madrid. The indictment against him, drawn up by investigating judge Baltasar Garzon, claims he was 'directly involved with the preparation and carrying out of the attacks ... by the suicide pilots on 11 September'. Evidence of Galan's links with Iraqi government officials came to light only recently, as investigators pored through more than 40,000 pages of documents seized in raids at the homes of Galan and seven alleged co-conspirators. The Spanish authorities have supplied copies to lawyers in America, and this week the documents will form part of a dossier to be filed in a federal court in Washington, claiming damages of approximately $100 billion on behalf of more than 2,500 11 September victims. The lawsuit lists Saddam's government in Iraq as one of its principal defendants, claiming it provided 'material support' to the al-Qaeda terrorists. Under US law, the victims' families do not have to prove active direction or involvement in the details of the 9/11 conspiracy by Iraq, only that Saddam's regime gave al-Qaeda more general assistance in the knowledge that it was planning to attack American targets. The evidence in support of the 9/11 damages claim cites several examples of this alleged co-operation. They include the terrorist training camp at Salman Pak near Baghdad, where former Iraqi intelligence brigadier Jamal al-Qurairy has said that non-Iraqi Islamic radicals were trained to hijack aircraft using knives. - "Spain links suspect in 9/11 plot to Baghdad," by David Rose, The Observer , see UK Guardian , Sunday March 16, 2003