The day after 3/11 JK and I discussed how "We are all Spaniards" and that Spain, under Aznar's leadership, "fights with conviction against militant Islamic theocrats who are a threat to every freedom-loving person on earth and not just the "imperialist-zionist coalition" (as the French and North Koreans apparently believe)." I also condemned their subsequent election of a Socialist Prime Minister who promised to withdraw troops from Iraq as a surrender to terrorists.
In today's WSJ Mr. Aznar echoes these points and adds an unexpected historical perspective:
"In the entire course of my political life, and especially during the eight years in which I have been prime minister, I have said that terrorism is not a local phenomenon, confined to particular areas or countries, to be confronted with domestic means alone. On the contrary, terrorism is a global phenomenon, one that crosses borders. And it gains in strength when we think that it is the problem of "others" and should be taken care of by "others."
The debates that followed the Madrid attacks have been about whether they were carried out by ETA or al Qaeda. It is obviously essential to find out who was behind the attacks. But all terrorism carries the same threat; all terrorist attacks are infused with hatred for liberty, democracy and human dignity. They feed on each other.
Up until the attacks of September 11, Spain took great pains to demonstrate to the outside world that terrorism was not an isolated phenomenon, that it shouldn't be fought by its immediate victims alone. Following the collapse of the Twin Towers, a new consciousness about the world-wide reach of terrorism finally emerged.
ETA or al Qaeda--the difference is important, to be sure, but the response to what has happened should be the same: firmness, political unity and international cooperation. Each and every democrat in the world was on those trains in Madrid. It has been an attack against all of us, against everything we believe in, and against everything we have built."
So we in America also bear some responsibility for allowing ETA terrorism to hold sway in Spain (and Palestinian terrorism in Israel and FARC terrorism in Columbia or muslim terrorism in Chechnya) without so much as even a condemnation of their campaigns. Sure, we denounced their violent means, but never did we aid in the war against them, or even make a value judgment against them as we have done against al Qaeda. Shamefully, at least in the case of Palestinian terrorism, we still haven't. More shameful still, slightly more than half of Spanish voters have reversed their nation's policy of agressive self-defense. Nevertheless, liberty and justice will ultimately prevail - the only question is how many needless innocent victims will pave the way.
Richard Clarke swears that he warned Bush about ETA attacks and the President did nothing at all!
Posted by: jk at March 24, 2004 01:13 PM