Our lives in Spanish hands

On the eve of Spain's general election, the Spanish interior minister has announced that Al-Qaida has released a videotape claiming responsibility for the 3/11 bombings. So much for Aznar's "cover-up".

The media is falling over itself to report that Spaniards are growing increasingly angry with Aznar's Popular Party for "making the country a target". I cannot know how it would feel if my country was going through something like this. But I have no qualms about saying this: if the 3/11 attacks turn the people of Spain away from a government which has taken a strong stance against Islamofascist terror, it will be a magnificent victory for Al-Qaida.

Islamic extremism thrives on Western "weakness" - most notably, the Americans scrambling out of Beirut in 1983 and Somalia a decade later. If the 9/11 attacks were meant to make the U.S. leave the Middle East and abandon Israel to its fate, they backfired miserably; but if 3/11 can drive Spain's Popular Party from office, the message for Islamofascists will be obvious - terrorism works after all.

This certainly isn't fair to Spanish Socialist leader José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (who, to his credit, is refusing to go along with his supporters' vile "cover-up" allegations). Tony Blair has proven that a (nominal) leftist can take a strong stand against terrorism, and a Zapatero-led Spanish government could prove just as resilient and dedicated. We can't know for sure. But if the Socialists win, we'd better hope and pray that Spain does not turn back toward the dead end of appeasement and capitulation, like so many of its European neighbours.

Years from now, when the history of the War on Terror is written, the Spanish election will be one of the most important chapters.

Posted by damian at March 13, 2004 10:46 PM