Conason: Alienated Spain Rejects Bush*s War

[kskiska]

The Western alliance continues to decline.

If the carnage in Spain and its political consequences represent a defeat for liberal civilization and a victory for its Islamist enemies, the wisest response for civilization’s defenders is to examine the events and policies that led us here. That effort requires more than ritual denunciation of the Spanish people and our other alienated allies in Europe. Such simple-minded reactions only amplify divisions we cannot afford in the just war against Al Qaeda. Every essay by a "conservative" attacking Europe must bring joy to Osama bin Laden, wherever he may be.

Rather than using the events in Spain to retroactively justify the Bush administration’s policy in Iraq, honest analysis must acknowledge that last year’s invasion of Iraq was a serious strategic error. By rejecting multilateralism in pursuit of their "pre-emptive" doctrine, the President and his advisers damaged American credibility, weakened the Western alliance and created the situation now being exploited by Al Qaeda.

There may well have been voters in Spain who foolishly cast their ballots for the Socialist Workers Party in the hope that withdrawal from Iraq would protect them from future attacks. The next attack, in France or Germany perhaps, may disabuse them of that illusion. Many more rejected the right-wing Popular Party because they believed that its leaders were lying to them about the Madrid attacks—and had lied about Iraq to justify the government’s profoundly unpopular support of that war.

Their resounding rebuke of George W. Bush is the price of deception.

more…
http://www.nyobserver.com/pages/conason.asp

[Career Prole]

1. I don't know about this...

"We certainly have enemies who are working to destroy us. We must use every instrument at our disposal to destroy them instead, including diplomacy, intelligence, foreign assistance and—sometimes—military force."

We may very well hurt them, but I really don't think it's possible to destroy them. To use the obvious medical metaphor, we're just treating the symptoms.

[izzie]

2. I do think like you about this.

Terror is an odd thing and standing armies do not get rid of it. All you need to do is read about the partisan of WW2 and they could not be stopped even in countries that were ruled by the then greatest army in the world. The Germans used a 10 to 1 thing some what like we are doing. If one German was killed the Germans would kill 10 locals. I am sure if you looked at figures that for the 1000 we have had killed in Iraq we have killed 10,000 in that country. When the occupation stopped the partisans gave up or generally did. Europe has had trouble with terrorist since I grew up and I am 69 and Europe has learned something about it and has keep it down. We are always going to have a outside group of nuts around. Like at Ok. That Tim was all Am.Shall we go after ex army guys that are unhappy? He was a terrorist.