Moe Time

Al Qaeda - Spanish Natural Disaster

Listening to Morning Edition this morning on my way to work, I caught a report by Jerome Socolovsky on how people in Spain were dealing with the aftermath of the March 11 train bombing. There were vigils and inquiries before, but much of that has passed. Spain had just celebrated the wedding of the crown prince and was ready to face a bright new tomorrow. The mother of one of the victims was bothered about how much Spain wanted to forget March 11- she said that the Spanish people were acting as though the Al Qaeda bombing was akin to a natural disaster, something that wouldn't happen again.

The difference between the American attitude and the Spanish attitude is disheartening. After September 11, everyone and his brother were screaming that "we are at war!!!" There was little doubt in anyone's minds that we had entered a new world. Even anti-Iraq people argued that Iraq is a waste of time because it distracts from the War on Terror.

Meanwhile, the Spanish are trying to deal with Al Qaeda - The Earthquake that Wrecked the Trains. They believe that Basque separatists may strike again, but Al Qaeda, well, that's just a one-time thing. And as far as they are concerned, the victims of the bombing ought to recover quickly - you Americans, did you hold a year-long mourning for the victims of Hurricane Fran?

How many more bombings will it take for them to realize that (as every commando in every movie has said) "this is for real"? That bin Laden wants to defeat America, but he wants to reconquer Spain? It's one thing for the people to have a false sense of comfort, but quite another when the government fosters that by sweeping all the indicators of a greater problem under the nearest royal wedding and saying, "Now we are out of Iraq! Everything will be fine!"

The American response to September 11 was "We are at war." If all the Spanish can muster is a retreat from Iraq and the planting of a few trees, then their continent is once again going to be the battlefield for the coming wars between freedom and totalitarian rule. Spain has the choice of taking the battle to the enemy. They seem to be squandering it.

Posted by moe at June 17, 2004 01:23 PM