Reply #2: I guess Howard missed Kristoff's column this morning. [View All]

[baby_bear]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/10/opinion/10KRIS.html

<snip>
American conservatives had a field day after Mr. Zapatero's election, calling Spaniards wimps for reacting to the 3/11 train bombings by electing an antiwar candidate. But on the ground here, it's clear that accusation was deeply unfair.

Mr. Zapatero's last-minute surge of support had nothing to do with Spaniards knuckling under to Al Qaeda. Rather, Spaniards reacted to Prime Minister José María Aznar's dishonesty in blaming Basque terrorists for the bombing.
...
Do Americans really think that Spaniards should have responded to the bombings by staying home apathetically on Election Day?

Accusing Spain of bowing to terrorism has exacerbated the Spanish alienation from the U.S., for this is a country that has lost 900 people to Basque terrorism over the years — and that Al Qaeda recently pledged to turn into "an inferno."
<snip>

I have had a number of arguments with people who are not Bush supporters but who seem to think that "the terrorists won" on the Spanish election outcome. I disagree vehemently, but Kristoff put it better than I have been able to.

I hope his column gets printed in Australian newspapers.

s_m