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SPANISH ELECTION... VICTORY FOR AL-QAEDA

 

 

 

By Jon Christian Ryter

March 18, 2004

NewsWithViews.com

On the heels of a terrorist attacks on 3 commuter trains in heading into Madrid, Spain from outlying communities into the city's main train terminal that took over 200 lives and injured over 1,500 more during "rush hour" last Thursday, a frightened Spanish electorate voted the ruling Popular Party out of office in the national election that was ignited by three days of protest. Voters on Sunday returned the Socialist Workers' Party to power. The Socialists�the party of Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez�controlled the government from 1982 to 1996. High unemployment and problems from Basque separatist as well as allegations of wrongdoing involving members of the Socialist Workers Party ended their 14 year reign.

In any event, the Populists are out and the communists are back in power. The question being bantered around on the talk shows yesterday was: "is Al-Qaeda smart enough to figure out that they could destabilize the country sufficiently to cause the political party�the party in power�of an American ally on the War on Terrorism to lose lose the election�and power," thus giving Al-Qaeda its first major political victory since the invasions of the pro-Al-Qaeda governments of Afghanistan and Iraq?

Spain has long been a hotbed of Al-Qaeda activity. It was in Spain where the final details for the skyjacking of the jet airliners that were crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were worked out. It was in Barcelona, on Jan. 23, 2003, where 16 Al-Qaeda associates�mostly Algerians�were arrested with bomb parts. On June 12, 2003 Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar pledged to send 1,200 Spanish peacekeeping troops to Iraq. On September 5, 2003 Spain charged a Syrian-born Al Jeezra reporter with passing information to Al-Qaeda. And, finally, on Sept. 17, 2003, a Spanish judge indicted Osama bin Laden and 34 Al-Qaeda members for planning the 9-11 disaster in Span..

Clearly, any of those events would have made Spain an ideal Al-Qaeda target since the terrorist organization has attacked nations with even less provocation since the Iraqi invasion.

Shortly after the election results became official,incoming Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez-Zapatero received a congratulatory call from President George W. Bush. Rodriguez-Zapatero promised to work together to combat terrorism around the world, but that promise meant different things to the two leaders. To Bush, it actually meant doing something. To Rodriguez-Zapatero and his Socialist Workers Party, it means taking it lead from the other socialists in Europe and distancing themselves from the capitalist nations.

On Monday, within hours of his victory, Rodriguez-Zapatero promised to bring home the 1,200 to 1,300 Spanish peacekeepers in Iraq when their tour ends in July. In his TV address to the Spanish people, Rodriguez-Zapatero called the Iraqi coalition a disaster for Iraq and its people. "The war," he said, was a disaster, the occupation continues to be a great disaster. It hasn't generated anything but more violence and hate." While it may be that Rodriguez-Zapatero planned, all along, to pull the Spanish troops from Iraq if he was elected, his decision to do so at that specific time makes it sound more like he was crying "Uncle!"�and begging Al-Qaeda not to hurt them anymore. At least, that is very likely how his "concession speech"on Monday (which followed his victory speech on Sunday) was construed by Al-Qaeda. An electoral victory for the terrorists. Because it has likely been perceived that way, Al-Qaeda now knows the possibility exists to depose any national leader�like Tony Blair or George W. Bush�whenever those leaders comes up for re-election. The Islamic fundamentalists backing Al-Qaeda know that Sen. John F. Kerry [D-MA] is an anti-war liberal who will likely tuck his tail and pull American forces our of Iraq and Afghanistan, proclaiming his surrender to Al-Qaeda "a victory for the UN" into whose incapable hands the situation would be thrust. Then, a year later when Afghanistan and Iraq become Shi'ite theocracies like Iran, the Kerry people and the liberal media will blame the debacle on former president George W. Bush who will be down in Crawford, Texas writing his memoirs.

The question remains: did Al-Qaeda time their attack to coincide with the Spanish election in an attempt to impact its results? If so, does that mean that other European nations who allied themselves with the United States can expect similar attacks when their national elections are held? It appears that way. Does that also mean the United States can expect a similar attack on the subway systems in Washington, DC, New York, Chicago and Boston within days of our own election on November 2? Even though logic suggests that's probably the case, there are those who maintain it was a mere coincidence, and that Al-Qaeda actually staged the event precisely 911 days from the 9-11 tragedy�sort of an anniversary memorial to their act of war against capitalism (which, by the way, it was). At least, the memorial theme was the supposition reported by CNN last Thursday when the tragedy in and around Madrid was initially reported.

The only problem with that hypothesis is that only 857 days had actually elapsed since 9-11. No, Al-Qaeda was very deliberately attempting to impact the national election in Spain. Because they succeeded, its now safe to call the three bombings in Spain as a test run for the "Big Kahauna"�the national election in the United States.

� 2004 Jon C. Ryter - All Rights Reserved

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Jon Christian Ryter is the pseudonym of a former newspaper reporter with the Parkersburg, WV Sentinel. He authored a syndicated newspaper column, Answers From The Bible, from the mid-1970s until 1985. Answers From The Bible was read weekly in many suburban markets in the United States.

Today, Jon is an advertising executive with the Washington Times. His website, www.jonchristianryter.com has helped him establish a network of mid-to senior-level Washington insiders who now provide him with a steady stream of material for use both in his books and in the investigative reports that are found on his website. E-Mail: baffauthor@aol.com


 

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"Spain has long been a hotbed of Al-Qaeda activity. It was in Spain where the final details for the skyjacking of the jet airliners that were crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were worked out."