This would seem a real good moment for the peaceloving Muslims of the world to stand up and say, "What's 500 years past is past, and we condemn this sort of attack."

Since it's Spain, not Bush, they'll not soon get another cleaner chance to get on record.

I ain't holdin' my breath.

Harry:

You believe in science--do you stand up and apologize every time someone does something wrong in the name of science? Of course not, the notion is idiotic and you can't even accept that things like Nazism were based in science. What then does the average Muslim have to do with al Qaeda?

OJ
"what then does the average Muslim have to do with Al Qaeda"
They are cheerleaders, unless you know something I don't. Which is what Harry said.

h-man:

That's inane.

OJ
Harry said condemn, not apologize. The two words are different. You apologize for those actions you are responsible for. You condemn those actions of others for which you are not responsible.
As to Nazi science (Hitler was into astrology) I am sure that Harry would be glad to condemn them as you would condemn a christian for his bad actions. No one would expect you to apologize.
Excuse my inanity, punk.

Yes, but you said the average Muslim is a cheerleader for al Qaeda. That was the inane part.

I'm with Harry here. OJ, it's probably true that the average Muslim isn't cheering al Qaeda, but the last few years haven't exactly been filled with loud or widespread Muslim condemnations of al Qaeda, either.

Then let's hear the condemnation (without qualifying remarks about Israel, or the Iranian communist leader overthrown in the 1950's) from all Arabs and Iranians. That lack of willingness to stand up to terrorist will prolong the present conflict, which would end quickly if public figures and yes, average citizens were to clearly deny the morality of terrorism.

They (the intellectuals, political, and religious leaders) are thru their relative silence speaking volumes about the popularity of Bin Laden, and Al Quaeda with the "average" muslim.

This will likely turn out to be a case study in how tactical success and strategic success are often two entirely different things.

In the meantime, we're all Spaniards today. God bless Spain.

Amen.

And we also need to treat this attack on Madrid as an attack on the United States.

What Jeff said.

Spain has roughly 75,000 people in its armed forces, and only about 4,000 are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, which leaves plenty more to punish evildoers...

If the Spanish people decide to be angry at Al-Qaeda, rather than at America.
Public opinion in Spain was overwhelmingly against Spanish participation in Iraq.

Maybe it's Islam that needs to be defeated, and Muslims who are its first victims.

Paul:

Bingo, though not Islam entire but its totalitarian aspect which has so badly retarded their societies.

Peter, David:

Precisely.