Patriot Paradox
Posted on 03/15/2004 2:33:02 AM PST by kattracks
Spain's Socialist Party prime minister-elect has confirmed his intention to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said: "The war in Iraq was a disaster, the occupation of Iraq is a disaster."The Socialist Party won a shock poll victory after voters appeared to turn on the government over its handling of the Madrid bombings.
Spain, with more than 1,300 troops in Iraq, supported the US-led war on Iraq despite much domestic opposition.
Mr Zapatero told Spanish radio that no decision would be taken until he was in power or without wide political consultation.
But the soldiers would be pulled out if there was no change in Iraq by the 30 June deadline for transfer of sovereignty.
Our world affairs correspondent, Paul Reynolds, says that the situation in Iraq may well have changed by 30 June, but whether that influences the new government remains to be seen.
By then the US and UK hope that the Security Council will have given UN approval to the handover plan.
In addition the interim Iraqi government will be asking foreign troops to stay as part of a UN-approved multinational force.
Outsider
Socialists won 42% of the vote, while the centre-right Popular Party won 38% in Sunday's general election, held in the wake of the Madrid train bomb attacks that killed 200 people.
The BBC's Chris Morris, in Madrid, says the bombings did more than shock Spain to the core; they proved to be the decisive factor in the general election that ousted the government.
Mr Zapatero was - until Thursday's bombings - considered an outsider for Spain's top job.
Despite his party's victory, however, there is expected to be much political horse-trading because the Socialists did not win an absolute majority.
While Mr Zapatero said his first priority was to tackle terrorism "in all its forms", he is thought likely to do it in a very different way than the outgoing government.
A larger than expected 77% of the electorate turned out to vote in the wake of last Thursday's attacks.
Our correspondent says the late swing to the Socialists raises one disturbing thought - if al-Qaeda was responsible for Thursday's attacks, it appears to have had significant influence in changing the government of a leading Western democracy.
Investigations are continuing into who was behind the bombings.
A videotaped claim of responsibility by a man identifying himself as al-Qaeda's military spokesman in Europe forced the government to change its stance on the most likely suspects.
The tape - claiming revenge for Spain's "collaboration with the criminals Bush and his allies" - was found in a litter bin on Saturday following a tip-off to a TV station.
'Suspect has al-Qaeda link'
Three Moroccans and two Indians are being held in connection with the attacks.
The three Moroccans being held have been named as Jamal Zougam, 30, Mohamed Bekkali, 31, and Mohamed Chaoui, 34.
The two Indians arrested were named as Vinay Kohly and Suresh Kumar.
Spain's El Pais newspaper reported that investigators had found links between Jamal Zougam and the Salafia Jihadia group held responsible for attacks in Casablanca last May in which more than 40 people died.
One of the targets of the Moroccan attacks was a Spanish cultural centre, where four Spaniards were among the dead.
Reports also linked Jamal Zougam to a Spanish cell of al-Qaeda which was headed by Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, also known as "Abu Dahdah".
Abu Dahdah has been indicted by the Spanish anti-terrorist prosecutor Baltasar Garzon on charges relating to the preparation of the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States.
El Pais said Jamal Zougam was cited at two points in Garzon's indictment, but was not charged.
I stated in an earlier thread that Spain has two options..
capitulate now to terrorism and become a muslim country in 10 years like France..
OR
fight terrorism now with all they've got.
Looks like they've chosen to become another muslim country.
viva la allah
I disagree. I think the Islamokazis have learned some valuable lessons.
1) Push the U.S., and they push back, a hundred times as hard.
2) Push the Europeans, and they fold like origami paper.
Now, if you're a terrorist, whom do you push?
Nothing.
They even sent a volunteer division to fight on the Eastern Front.
Investigations are continuing into who was behind the bombings.Until the transfer of power. The new government has no interest in finding out who was behind the bombings. Whoever it was, the new government owes them a big debt of gratitude. Which it will promptly repay by promptly releasing anyone taken into custody by the old government.
When do the rats take over?
Yeah..but it's sole purpose is to support the head.
And the color is apparently yellow.
Once a quitter, always a quitter.
And they did so well against ignorant, backwards savages, too!
The beginning of the end of Western civilization?Remember. Things looked just as dark in 1939. And just as dark in 1979.
We beat Hitler.
We beat Communism.
We one both wars basically on our own.
We'll win this one too.
The same millions were protesting the war in Iraq. Spanish government sent troops against clear will of the people (more than 80% was against).
I believe that a serious error was made by the Spanish government in immediately blaming the Basque separatists group WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE, instead of blaming the true perpetrators, the al-Qaeda terrorists. I assume they did this for tactical reasons. Therefore, they did not rally the nation against Islamic terrorism, and I don't see the election (narrowly won by the Socialists 164 seats to 148 seats + other parties, out of 450) as a referendum on the terrorism issue which it could have been.
Actually, what this means is that any terrorist that wants to change the government just needs to pull a bombing like this within days of an election. It really doesn't matter who was responsible - it still got the desired result.
I wonder if the DemocRATs here in the US would stoop low enough to arrange a bombing or other sort of "terrorist" event here just before our election in December to try outs GW? After all, the example has been set and prooven to work. Kerry has already indicated (unintentionally) that he will be soft on terrorists. What's to stop this from happening here?
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