[Colosis]

The Spanish voters are still in shock, denial, and anger, the initial stages of the grieving process, and they might have voted against the wrong party. After some time, I hope cooler heads will prevail.

I disagree. The new leader has 4 years to work his anti-American policies and appease terrorists. AQ has no reason to bomb them again while he's in power, and the Spanish might settle into a cosy relationship of high moral appeasement with France and Germany. And in 4 terror-free years (maybe), a docile populace may re-elect him again. This is a lose-lose situation of the most depressing kind. Prodi is already capitalising on this given his remarks today about the Iraq war causing terrorism to become infinitely more dangerous. It's 1939 again.

[george wythe]

We Americans elected Hitlery's husband twice. Are we in such a good position to lecture the Spanish people for making an irrational decision after a major terrorist attack?

Nevertheless, my initial point was the new Spanish prime minister has left himself enough wiggle room to keep the Spanish troops in Iraq.

AP

"The Spanish troops which are in Iraq will be returning home," Socialist leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told Cadena Ser radio. He said the troops would be recalled once he puts together a government some time in mid-April and formally takes over as prime minister.

However, a party spokesman explained to The Associated Press that Zapatero sticks by his campaign condition that the 1,300 troops would stay if the United Nations assumed control of the peacekeeping operation in Iraq.

IMHO, there is room for compromise.

The new Iraqi government will likely get a new UN resolution blessing foreign troops as UN peacekeepers in Iraq.

Diplomats can work out a face-saving arrangement to help the Spain and others.