Madrid bombs tilt Spain left

[dArKeR]

Madrid - Spain's governing rightwing Popular Party (PP) had hoped to go into Sunday elections on the strength of its economic record, but this week's bombings in Madrid have torn a gaping hole in its calculations.

Outgoing Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar will not stand in the poll which he hopes will be won by handpicked successor Mariano Rajoy, who has promised to chase "full employment" in a country whose jobless rate remains the highest in the eurozone.

After Thursday's carnage which killed 200 people, the state of the jobs market and three years of zero public sector deficits will count for very little.

Aznar's government was still insisting on Saturday it believed Basque separatist group ETA was responsible despite competing claims Islamic fundamentalists were to blame.

But whoever is responsible, the only issue engaging Spain's 34 million electorate will be which government can best deal with the aftermath of the four co-ordinated train bombings.

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1497761,00.html

[underpants]

1. The difference between how 3/11 is handled there and 9/11 here is amazing

The first thing you heard was of investigations into who is responsible for these horrible attacks and not a call to war as was done here. I don't know how it will play out (Will the Spanish govenrment take huge military action against the Basque region?)but they started the process by INVESTIGATING it.

Also those in power when it happened (by this article) are being held accountable as it happened "on their watch" -I believe the saying was.

[joeybee12]

2. I think the Spanish government's response has been deplorable!

They're still claiming it was the ETA, which it obviously wasn't.

Amnzar is as big a whore as Bush. He joined Dumbo's little folly of oil and revenge, lying and saying it was to fight terrorism. It wasn't, and it diverted resources and attention away from the real terrorists, who have regrouped, and blindsided the government of Spain.

The truly disgusting thing about all this is that Dumbo hasn't even tried to fight terrorism--and we are so fucking unsafe!

Impeach the lying bastards!

[Dover]

5. I'm sure Spains enemy list has grown since siding with the U.S.

for both overt and covert operations around the world. Interesting timing of this attack as regards their elections...

[enough]

3. Saw a headline in LBL yesterday

saying that rage at the bombings would tilt the country to the right.

I guess we'll have to see what happens. Do they use Diebold?

[prolesunited]

4. I was remembering the same thing

Here's the link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=418334

The outcome should prove interesting.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

6. That's why the 'who' is so important

& why Aznar et al are still saying it was ETA. The socialist party are calling for all Spanish troops to leave Iraq because, amongst other things, their presence there & participation in the war make Spain unsafe.

[megatherium]

10. The ETA theory will evaporate

right after the election this weekend, when the Spanish government no longer has any vested interest in promoting that theory.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

13. yeah -- I agree

apparently, there's already protests going on from Spaniards demanding the government to come clean about everything they know before the election.

[Jazzgirl]

19. I thought about something similar here

just before the election. A major "attack" just in time to declare martial law and cancel the elections.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[izzie]

8. I think they, terrorist. hear what gets them what they want.

We have not heard what they want but my guess would be out of Iraq if its that group or the change in Sp rule in the country as it has been since as long as I can recall. When we get out of the Middle East our terrorist will most likely stop, also, but how do we give up 'our' oil that some how got under their sand?

[bemildred]

9. What they want is perfectly clear.

It's just that nobody wants to deal with it.

Stop targeting us, release our prisoners and leave our land
and we will stop attacking you. The people of the US allied
countries have to put pressure on their governments to immediately
end their alliance with the US in the war against terror (Islam).
If you persist we will also continue.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2CDD53D6-7AF7-40C7-AF88-32A16072F81B.htm

[JoeKSimmons]

16. Why not give in to their blackmail?

Then any extremist groups that whines and screams loud enough will be able to get the same. Just think...the PA could finally run the Jews into the sea like they have expressed a desire to do for decades.

[bemildred]

17. Surely you jest. You never seemed like a quitter before. nt

[frylock]

18. Why not give in to their blackmail?

exactly.. that would be like if the US pulled out of SA like UBL wanted. :eyes:

[bemildred]

20. Yes, or when Israel withdrew from S. Lebanon.

Next thing some lefty pinko will suggest unilateral
withdrawal from Gaza or some such thing.

[Mari333]

11. well thats it then//Bush and Blair and Aznar and the rest

are the biggest terrorists in the world and have yet more blood on their hands.

[leesa]

12. They must be getting dizzy...yesterday they were tilting right!

[CShine]

14. Sorry, but not a single word in that story backs up that headline.

There is not a single word in there that says Spain has shifted further to the left over this.

[bemildred]

15. True. Mostly speculation and generalizations. nt