ETA or Al Queda?

[chucK]

What's ironic about it? Spain wasn't fighting terrorism when they helped attack Iraq. Attacking Iraq has not weakened terrorists, but it has made Spain their target apparently.

[Peter_Puget]

CHuck - the anti-war chicks are dressed as sexy suicide bombers! And as far as fighting terrorism that is very arguable but hardly the point here.

[chucK]

OK, gotcha

[icegirl]

My parents live Northeast of there.

 

Hope they are as okay as they can be considering.

[catbirdseat]

The pundits are saying that the Spaniard will turn against their president if it is is established that the bombing was the work of Al Qaida. This is because 90% of the populace was against the Iraq war.

 

I don't think this will happen. In fact I think that Spain will become more unified in the fight against terrorists.

[Rodchester]

What's ironic about it? Spain wasn't fighting terrorism when they helped attack Iraq. Attacking Iraq has not weakened terrorists, but it has made Spain their target apparently.

 

Chuck:

 

Are you serious? Spain has been active in fighting terrorism WAY before the US bothered. The recent activity has been going on since Franco took over after the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. The Basques have been very active, more so at times and less so at other times, in terrorism. Recall that Franco's right hand man was killed in a terrorist bombing. He had been hand picked by Franco to replace Franco and was he a real bastard. (I can't remember his name).

 

After he was murdered, Franco relented more or less setting up the return of the Monarchy (Juan Carlos), who eventually turned the government back over to the people.

 

ETA has previously worked with terrorist organizations from outside of Spain (but has kept thier own activities pretty close to Spain and the Basque area in France). This includes the PLO and the IRA. In fact, many NSPS types and intel wonks believe that the IRA trained and supplied ETA to kill Franco’s handpicked successor. It was done almost identically (method and means) to the killing of Lord Montbatten.

 

Spain has been suffering from this for years and has always asked for help.

[chucK]

I meant that attacking Iraq was not fighting against terrorism.

[catbirdseat]

Can it be the moors (muslims) are still sore about being kicked out of Spain in 1609?

[j_b]

however spain, so far, was not the target of muslim extremists and, apparently, this has changed due to aznar's support for shrub's bloody escapade. so much for decreasing the threat of terror.

 

the heir to franco was carrero blanco, a fascist himself. far from me to condone or justify the methods of eta but consider that being an active separatist in franco's spain eventually got you the garote (praticed until 1975 mind you), see graphics to admire the contraption: http://www.shanmonster.com/witch/torture/garrot.html

 

and we won't discuss the 10,000's of disappeared after the civil war.

 

i almost forgot. i do resent your using this photo PP and for 2 reasons: a) illustrating the protest against war of millions of spaniards with that of 2 individuals is farfetched, and b) you are trying to get a cheap shot on war protesters at the expense of ~200 dead spaniards and 1200 wounded.

Edited March 12, 2004 by j_b

[scrambler]

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe says US, UK and Spain are involved in the plot by mercenaries believed to have been sent to aid in the overthrow of the government of Equatorial Guinea. The plan was to replace the current president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasog, with Severo Moto who heads a government-in-exile in Madrid, Spain. Zimbabwe detained a Boeing 727 which carried the mercenaries after its owners made a false declaration of its cargo and crew.

 

"Spain denied involvement in any plot in the former Spanish colony and a diplomatic source said the Spanish ambassador in Harare would "present a formal complaint to the Zimbabwean government" tomorrow over its allegation."