Thursday, March 18, 2004
Zapatero has come out of the gate with his guns blazing, effectively calling Bush and Blair liars and pledging to withdraw Spain's troops from Iraq. He claims that they need reflection and self-criticism - this from a man intent on reaping the maximum political capital from a terrorist atrocity without concern about how his capitulations will spur further terrorism. Writing in The Scotsman Spanish journalist Ramon Perez-Mauria observes that, unlike his predecessor who asserted Spain's political independence of France:
Presumably this will mean accepting the reduced share of votes that France and Germany attempted to force down the throats of Spain and Poland a few months ago - in contravention to promises made to both countries earlier. At the same time, Zapatero seems happy to play the anti-American crowd, with no particular regard for the impact that this will have in Spain. You see, as Perez-Mauria notes, the US has given Spain crucial support in its dispute with Morocco, and also in its efforts against ETA (Spain had reciprocated by being a willing partner in the global effort against terror, including in its interception of a North Korean missile shipment to Yemen).
If this is how the new Spanish government wants to play things, well fine. The next time Morocco comes knocking at their door, let them work without us. Actually, Morocco is a fine ally of the US and an enhanced military assistance program would be a good reward for their support against Al Qaeda. Also, why should we take the slightest risk against ETA by classifying it as a terrorist group? After all, aren't we just arousing their righteous anger and risking attacks against our own cities? No, as Euro-guru Romano Prodi has stated, " "It is clear that using force is not the answer to resolving the conflict with terrorists. Terrorism is infinitely more powerful than a year ago." As Zapatero might say, the occupation of Euskadi has been a disaster and the US shouldn't be sticking out its own neck to protect such an untenable suppression of Basque sovereignty. ETA wouldn't be the way it is without powerful root causes, after all.
(The above is basically in angry jest.)
On the contrary, Mr Zapatero is determined to put Spain back into the fold of France - back, in fact, to where Spain’s foreign policy had been for 200 years until Mr Aznar decided to stand up and give Madrid its own voice. Spain will now, once more, be infantilised as France’s junior partner - or, to put it bluntly, will become France’s Sancho Panza.
Presumably this will mean accepting the reduced share of votes that France and Germany attempted to force down the throats of Spain and Poland a few months ago - in contravention to promises made to both countries earlier. At the same time, Zapatero seems happy to play the anti-American crowd, with no particular regard for the impact that this will have in Spain. You see, as Perez-Mauria notes, the US has given Spain crucial support in its dispute with Morocco, and also in its efforts against ETA (Spain had reciprocated by being a willing partner in the global effort against terror, including in its interception of a North Korean missile shipment to Yemen).
If this is how the new Spanish government wants to play things, well fine. The next time Morocco comes knocking at their door, let them work without us. Actually, Morocco is a fine ally of the US and an enhanced military assistance program would be a good reward for their support against Al Qaeda. Also, why should we take the slightest risk against ETA by classifying it as a terrorist group? After all, aren't we just arousing their righteous anger and risking attacks against our own cities? No, as Euro-guru Romano Prodi has stated, " "It is clear that using force is not the answer to resolving the conflict with terrorists. Terrorism is infinitely more powerful than a year ago." As Zapatero might say, the occupation of Euskadi has been a disaster and the US shouldn't be sticking out its own neck to protect such an untenable suppression of Basque sovereignty. ETA wouldn't be the way it is without powerful root causes, after all.
(The above is basically in angry jest.)
