( My formatting, was better to them lol)
I am seeing many comments by news people, and not just CNN about how the terrorist bombing in Madrid changed the outcome of the Spanish elections. I believe that this is a gross mis-statement. The people of Spain were polled before the bombing and a full 90% were against the war.
Here is a quote from CNN:
especially Aznar's unwavering support for the U.S.-led war in Iraq,
despite opinion polls that showed up to 90 percent of Spaniards opposed
the war.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/01/09/spain.election/index.html------
I think some of the news writers need to do some more research and not just go by the White House spin.
The Spainish people were going to kick out the pro- US fellow anyway. The bombings had nothing to do with it, or at the very least confirmed what they were already inclined to do.
Here is more for you to look at on the subject.
MADRID, Mar 28 (IPS) - More than nine of 10 Spaniards consulted in an
official poll said they oppose the U.S.-led attack against Iraq, while
their discontent with their own government -- which supports the war --
is seen in the rise of nationalist demands and criticisms against the
monarchy.
In late February, 90.8 percent of the people surveyed by the state-run
Centre for Sociological Research said they were against military
intervention in Iraq, announced the secretary of State for
parliamentary relations, Jorge Fernández, during the press conference
Thursday in which he presented the results of the poll.
The survey confirms what is seen in the ongoing and massive
demonstrations against the war in many Spanish cities, the largest
protests in the country’s history, say experts.
An appeal from the non-governmental ‘No to War’ Platform mobilised
people to send anti-war e-mails to the website of the ruling Popular
Party (PP), and within 48 hours they had paralysed the site, according
to the peace group.
The strong opposition to the policy of the centre-right government of
José María Aznar, of the PP, has encouraged demands for greater
autonomy by nationalist Basques and Catalonians, and to lesser extent
the nationalist movement of the Canary Islands, a Spanish territory off
the western African coast.
http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=17137http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2895489.stm( one whole year before the Madrid bombing in 2004)
Spain's Centre for Sociological Investigations (CIS) has found that
anti-war feeling in the country is running at peak levels.
Its latest survey suggests that 91% of Spaniards are against the
military action taking place in Iraq.
Until now, most surveys have put the figure closer to 80%.
The publicly funded CIS works directly to the government of Prime
Minister Jose Maria Aznar and regularly tests opinion on social issues.
SPANISH MOOD
91% against military action
70% for Spanish neutrality
60% say government is doing bad job on Iraq
58% believe Iraq has weapons of mass destruction
But this is the first time its barometer of public opinion has asked
Spaniards a series of questions on Iraq.
Nearly 70% of the 2,500 people surveyed think Spain should be neutral
in the conflict.
Sixty percent ticked boxes indicating their government is doing a bad
job dealing with the crisis.
But 58% believe Iraq does have weapons of mass destruction.
Meanwhile, an unusual display of anti-war sentiment - many hundreds of
people in Madrid spent one hour leaning out of their apartment windows,
banging together pots and pans.
Thousands continue to take to the streets across Spain to protest
against the war.