Spain’s new leader condemned America’s "shock and awe" strategy for combatting terror, while U.S. politicians accused the Spaniards of appeasing terrorists by voting out of office the governing party that supported the war in Iraq. Rather than defeat terrorism, U.S. military actions risk fueling it, said Spain’s Prime Minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who has made clear he prefers Democratic challenger John Kerry over President Bush in the White House.
Is this one of the "more" leaders?
Zapatero said Wednesday that the U.S.-led occupation in Iraq "is turning into a fiasco"
He must watch American TV
and he will stick by his decision to pull 1,300 Spanish troops out of Iraq unless the United Nations takes control of peacekeeping. "Combating terrorism with bombs, with operations of shock and awe, with Tomahawk missiles, is not the way to beat terrorism. Not like that. It is a way of generating more radicalism, more people who can wind up being tempted by using violence," Zapatero said.
And then kill them also.
"Terrorism is fought by the state of law," he said in an hour-long interview with Onda Cero radio. "I believe this is what Europe and the international community must debate."
Why do something when you can jaw about it?, so while you debate we’ll continue to kill them, thank you very much.
Top U.S. Republicans, however, accused the Spaniards of giving in to terrorist groups by turning out of office the party of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, a close U.S. ally. House Speaker Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said Spain was "a nation who succumbed ... to threats of terrorism, changed their government."
| Zapatero's still arguing the side of the argument that lost on 9-11. But Spain chaning its government isn't the end of the world, except for the people who were killed in Madrid. Señor Z's still making the same noises as Chirac and Schroeder and any number of Nevilles. It doesn't break the team, just changes the line-up. And there are lots of Spaniards who remember that cojones is a Spanish word. There are just slightly more at the moment who prefer warm milk and a story. |
"Here’s a country who stood against terrorism and had a huge terrorist act within their country, and they chose to change their government and to, in a sense, appease terrorists," Hastert said.
| A part of them did. Let's not forget the Spanish with guts... |
Added GOP Rep. Henry Hyde of Illinois, chairman of the House International Relations Committee: "The vote in Spain was a great victory for al-Qaida."
| It was a victory they'll try to exploit. Probably they'll have a certain amount of success. But Powell's smart. He'll minimize the damage as much as he can. And the WoT's going to be around longer than Señor Z... |
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, expressed his condolences to the people of Spain, particularly to the victims of last week’s deadly railway bombings in Madrid. But DeLay said he hoped Zapatero will come to believe in the U.S. position - "that Iraq is central to winning" the fight against terrorism. The lawmakers’ comments were harsher than those coming from the White House in recent days.
| That's because the White House can't panic, they have to exercise damage control... |
When Bush was asked Tuesday whether the Spanish vote gave terrorists reason to believe that they can influence elections and policy, he replied: "I think terrorists will kill innocent life in order to try to get the world to cower. I think these are cold-blooded killers." On Thursday, five suspects in the bombings were scheduled to appear in court. They are two Indians and three Moroccans, including Jamal Zougam, considered the main suspect. The attacks led to accusations that Aznar’s support of the Iraq war had made al-Andalus Spain a target for terrorism. Angry voters turned to Zapatero, who campaigned against the war and the stationing of Spanish troops in Iraq. Zapatero’s threatened troop withdrawal has worried U.S., British and some other world leaders, who say pulling out of Iraq after the bombings would amount to a victory for terrorists.
1300 men aren’t much, but perception is everything.
Zapatero, who is putting together a Socialist government to take over next month, was asked how he might respond if Bush personally asked him to reconsider pulling Spanish troops from Iraq. "I will listen to Mr. Bush, but my position is very firm and very clear, we will run" he said. Zapatero, 43, is not alone in Europe in his criticism of the U.S.-led campaign in Iraq, undertaken by the Bush administration despite international opposition and seen by many as a detour from the real fight against terrorism.
| If he had been alone he would have jumped the other way. He's a follower... |
After initially pointing the finger at Basque separatists, the Spanish government has since said it is investigating a top suspect’s possible links to the al-Qaida terrorist network.
| ETA was the first, logical suspect. Following that first, logical inclination made them look like they were dithering, especially as the Qaeda evidence came out. In retrospect, they should have said "we don't know if it was ETA or Qaeda but we're gonna find out soon." In retrospect, I shoulda been born a Vanderbilt, too. |
Some 5,000 supporters gathered outside the headquarters of Aznar’s party Wednesday, accusing Zapatero of being soft on terrorism. Waving flags and banners, they protested Zapatero’s upset win. "Zapatero, president of al-Qaida!" "Zapatero with terrorism!" and "Zapatero resign!" they chanted.
At least they aren’t all pussified.
The protesters left about 30 minutes after the Popular Party’s defeated candidate, Mariano Rajoy, appeared and greeted the crowd from a balcony.
Western Europe, save the UK is lost.
| Señor Z's taking minor hits at the moment. His support won't start to suffer until El Pais is making fun of him. |
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