Europe wonders, ‘Who's next?’

[NNN0LHI]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4533994/

Spain's tragedy rekindles the debate over loyalty to U.S. during war

The concussions of the “shock and awe” campaign that opened the Iraq war last March faded long ago, but a new wave of aftershocks is spreading across Europe and rekindling a debate that had fallen dormant: Was the removal of Iraq’s dictator worth a drop of European blood?


The answer from a rattled Spanish electorate this week is a resounding “No,” and even if the perpetrators of the March 11 train bombings have absolutely no connection to Saddam Hussein, the overturning of Spain’s pro-American government in the wake of 200 deaths is sending chills up the spines of the rest of the “coalition of the willing.”

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen an actual terrorist attack specifically timed for an election in another country and dictate a nation’s foreign policy,” says Steven Emerson, a noted terrorism specialist and author of American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us. “It’s an incredible feat for al-Qaida or whatever group carried it out.” snip

“There is no question that the so-called 'coalition of the willing' is now a lot less willing than it was before March 11,” says Simon Serfaty, director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “It’s not only because Spain has dropped out, but because other states are now saying, ‘Hey, there is a price to pay for backing this thing and, frankly, no reward’.”

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[Capt_Nemo]

1. I'll tell you who's next: Germany

It will be blamed on Al-Qaeda but most definetly masterminded
elsewhere.

Goal: get Germany into the New Europe fold, in order to reverse the
loss of Spain.

[Lindacooks]

2. False logic says that it was a victory for al-Qaida

This is a direct result of chimpy not focusing on actually fighting terrorism. Instead, he used soldiers for a personal vendetta against Hussein, spreading defenses too thin.

So al-Qaida has now regrouped, and Spain has paid the price for Aznar ignoring the wishes of his people and siding with that lying little squatter.

[Snivi Yllom]

3. the French got a threat today

PARIS, March 16 (Reuters) - An Islamist group has threatened to stage attacks in France, a Justice Ministry spokeswoman told Reuters on Tuesday.

The warning spoke of possible attacks within France and against foreign interests, she said.

No further information was immediately available.

[toopers]

5. Of course, this makes no sense.

France was against the Iraq invasion and most of the moves the US has made since 9-11. France is probably the best European ally that the Arab nations have. Maybe the terrorists did not like that whole "head scarf" thing?

[cliss]

4. Well, didn't the Al-Qaida provide a list

of who's on their list? I believe it was Poland, Italy, Japan. And of course, let's not forget the Big, Bad & The Ugly.