Good month for terrorists
staten
by Kathleen Parker
Dastardly speaking, March 2004 has been a very good month.
That is, if you're a terrorist. In fact, things haven't looked so bright
since September 2001. Ah, now that was an exceedingly good month.
The highlight of spring's calendar was undisputedly March 11 with the Madrid
bombings and consequent election redirection.
Timed just three days before the country's election, the train explosions
that killed nearly 200 and wounded 1,800 had the desired result.
One day conservative Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, among the staunchest
U.S. allies in the war on Iraq, was certain to win election for a third
consecutive term. Boom! Seventy-two hours later, he's gone, and newly
elected socialist leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero immediately begins
threatening to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq.
Any way you cut it - however one explains the electoral shift - that's
effective terrorism.
Some have explained Aznar's overthrow as a protest against his secretive
government rather than as a concession to terrorists. In the immediate
aftermath of the bloodbath, the Aznar government attributed the bombings to
Basque separatists - not an unlikely supposition given decades of attacks by
the ETA, a terrorist group seeking to make the Basque region of northern
Spain into an autonomous homeland.
It's possible that the Spanish vote was a mandate for truth in government.
More likely, it was exactly as it will be interpreted by the terrorists - a
massive display of appeasement by a people reeling from the sight of human
body parts propelled from exploding train cars. They effectively said that
Spain would withdraw support from the imperialist United States if
terrorists would just leave them in peace.
I don't say this necessarily critically. Surrender is an all too human
response to terror, one the terrorists count on. Although monsters
themselves, they understand that more civilized people can be relied upon to
behave in civilized ways. Any notion we have that terrorist behavior can be
predicted based on our own moral standards is obtuse and wasted.
But it is too bad. It is unfortunate for all democratic nations that now
will have to think twice before casting a vote or supporting a government
that does not play nice with terrorists. No matter how you dice it, the
terrorist orchestration of Spain's election, and now the possible withdrawal
of Spain's troops, has hurt the United States directly and made the world
more vulnerable.
One might surmise that Osama bin Laden couldn't have been happier, but then
along came former counterterrorism official Richard Clarke with a basket of
rose petals - his amazingly timed (surely accidental) expose blasting
President Bush's handling of the terrorist threat just in time for the 9/11
commission investigating same.
Never mind that Clarke's testimony and earlier statements praising Bush's
handling of terrorism contradict his book. The effect of expanding Bush's
credibility deficit may save bin Laden and company the trouble of
explosives.
Not that Clarke ever intended such a thing - he's just trying to sell some
books after all - and I'm happy to leave dot-connecting to the commission.
Although as a side note: If Clarke truly were as convinced three years ago
as he now says he was that bin Laden posed an imminent threat to the United
States, why didn't he quit his job, call a news conference, possibly save
3,000 lives, and spare us the genius of hindsight?
Finally, as icing on the cake, terrorism got a little PR boost several days
ago when Israel took out Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. The poor fellow
was a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic, went the spin against this "troubling"
act, to quote our very own President Bush. How did a murderous terrorist
responsible for the deaths of some 600 Israeli civilians suddenly become a
sympathetic character? Go figure.
Here's what the terrorists will figure. As bin Laden once put it: "When
people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature they will like the
strong horse."
To the Islamist-terrorist mind, the United States and its willing coalition
are slowly being made to seem the weak horse. Surrender in Madrid; political
back-biting, second-guessing and blaming in America; scolding and clucking
sympathy for a terrorist-murderer killed by our own ally in a justifiable
act of self-defense, all combine to make March a very good month indeed.
If you're a terrorist.
Euro
"staten" <stat...@lycos.com> wrote in message
news:106bo5e...@corp.supernews.com...
> If You're a terrorist and you're happy, it must be March
(snipped)
> Some have explained Aznar's overthrow as a protest against his secretive
> government rather than as a concession to terrorists. In the immediate
> aftermath of the bloodbath, the Aznar government attributed the bombings
to
> Basque separatists - not an unlikely supposition given decades of attacks
by
> the ETA, a terrorist group seeking to make the Basque region of northern
> Spain into an autonomous homeland.
>
> It's possible that the Spanish vote was a mandate for truth in government.
> More likely, it was exactly as it will be interpreted by the terrorists -
a
> massive display of appeasement by a people reeling from the sight of human
> body parts propelled from exploding train cars. They effectively said that
> Spain would withdraw support from the imperialist United States if
> terrorists would just leave them in peace.
That's not quite what Zapatero said. He said he would withdraw the Spanish
army from Iraq unless the UN gets a mandate and leadership to rebuild the
country.
Zapatero's position has nothing to do with what al-Qaeda does or does not
say. His problem is the calamitous management of the after-war in Iraq by
the US-led coalition.
Euro
MirTopolskiRex
> "staten" <stat...@lycos.com> wrote in message
> news:106bo5e...@corp.supernews.com...
>
>>If You're a terrorist and you're happy, it must be March
http://counterpunch.org/cook03272004.html
"Madeline Albright, this past Tuesday, offered the 9/11 Commission her
recommendations for dealing with terrorism in the coming months and
years. She made no mention of Israel and no Commissioner asked her about
Israel. Yet the ink still ran on every front page around the world
reporting on Sharon's insanity at unleashing American missiles (more
than one!) to savagely murder Sheik Ahmed Yassin, an unarmed, deaf,
half-blind, crippled, 67 year old paraplegic being pushed in a
wheelchair! Does it not strike any sane individual, Comissioners
included, that this act by our blest "man of peace" does more to raise
hatred against America than any failing by our benumbed President who
sat immobile in a classroom while New York burned? Sharon, with this
monstrous act, declared war on America on behalf of Hamas. Sharon
unilaterally burned the "Road Map." Sharon crucified America,
sacrificing it for his own political interests."
> Zapatero's position has nothing to do with what al-Qaeda does or does not
> say. His problem is the calamitous management of the after-war in Iraq by
> the US-led coalition.
Plus, vast majority of Spaniards and other Euros was against US+UK war
*for terrorism* in Iraq. So long live democracy!
Stinky Pete
"MirTopolskiRex" <2472...@onlinehome.de> wrote in message
news:c467jk$ivs$1...@online.de...
Israel is just using good ol' Soviet tactics...force. Just as Russians
respect anyone who can and will beat the crap out of them, Palestinian
leaders are now learning respect. Israel has made it open season on
terrorists and shown they mean business. Right now I'm sure Israel is
marking the guy that took over as political leader for Hamas. I wouldn't
sell him any life insurance. Arafat may be next. If Israel kills Arafat,
there will be lots of righteous indignation coming out of the world's
capitals in public statements but privately they will be
celebrating...finally something to break the impasse in the middle-east.
Killing Arafat would be real progress.
Euro
"Stinky Pete" <MrMe...@InadeqauetPersonalHygeine.org> wrote in message
news:WLy9c.123500$LX.12...@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
If killing Arafat leaves the Hamas as only representative force of the
Palestinians, I doubt it might be a progress. But then again, progress
should be looked from the perspective of what we should yield to. Maybe
peace is, for some persons, not the objective to aim for.
Euro
Mike A.
Force is a damn good method of dealing with those who does not
understand a normal language, and thus does not deserve any respect,
(you may be confusing it with hate) no matter how ruthless they are,
for example Palestinian and Chechen terrorists. BTW, it's interesting
to learn that violence as a way of solving political problems was
invented by Soviets. Sounds like the Roman Empire extended itself
solely by conducting polls and referendums. I should revise my
knowledge of history. Thank you very much!
Happy stinking, stay well!
Stinky Pete
"Mike A." <ydd...@yandex.ru> wrote in message
news:49a37b66.04033...@posting.google.com...
They know that Israel's looking for them. They are all just one missile away
from Allah.
Funny how the leadership never volunteers to become martyrs.
Israel has made it open season on
> > terrorists and shown they mean business. Right now I'm sure Israel is
> > marking the guy that took over as political leader for Hamas. I wouldn't
> > sell him any life insurance. Arafat may be next. If Israel kills Arafat,
> > there will be lots of righteous indignation coming out of the world's
> > capitals in public statements but privately they will be
> > celebrating...finally something to break the impasse in the middle-east.
> > Killing Arafat would be real progress.
>
> Force is a damn good method of dealing with those who does not
> understand a normal language, and thus does not deserve any respect,
> (you may be confusing it with hate) no matter how ruthless they are,
> for example Palestinian and Chechen terrorists.
Force is what's needed in Falujah. Brits were big pussies in Basra the other
day and got run out of town.
BTW, it's interesting
> to learn that violence as a way of solving political problems was
> invented by Soviets. Sounds like the Roman Empire extended itself
> solely by conducting polls and referendums. I should revise my
> knowledge of history. Thank you very much!
>
Sounds like? Sounds like Spartacus voted "no". The Romans tried to setup a
polling station in a German forest and had three legions massacred. Sounds
like that referendum got voted down too? Sounds like the old mafia deal too
good to refuse offer.
> Happy stinking, stay well!
Captain!
"Stinky Pete" <MrMe...@InadeqauetPersonalHygeine.org> wrote in message
>
> They know that Israel's looking for them. They are all just one missile
away
> from Allah.
> Funny how the leadership never volunteers to become martyrs.
so true twinkie. nothing new though.