If 90% of all Spaniards are opposed to the war, then it is probable that the Aznar government would have gotten fewer votes if there had been no bombings just before the election.

In the past, the US has been very dilatory in facing up to terrorists. Remember that the major American news media give the impression that Kerry will triumph. Many of the Spanish are probably considering the possibility that they might still be in Iraq when we suddenly decide to throw in the towel.

In addition to Islamicist Terror, Inc., the general media, in Spain and around the world, can give themselves a big pat on the back and pour themselves a drink or two.

"And the city of Shushan was perplexed."
(Esther 3:15)

Still, "Be not dismayed"....

Dead terrorists don't kill people.

It's that simple, but Europe will never understand it. They prefer "dead people won't be killed by terrorists".

Peter Miles is right. If antiwar opinion in Spain was _that_ widespread, the PSOE might have pulled off an upset anyway even if there had never been any attacks; the PP's 3-to-5 point lead before the election was within what U.S. pollers would call the "margin of error" so anything could have happened. Actually, in that case, the Socialist voters wouldn't even have had the excuse of terrorism.

One other thing; this was _not_ the majority of Spanish voters who voted for the Socialists. This was a plurality, like Clinton in 1992. The majority voted for the PP or for smaller parties, though in most cases those smaller parties are so opposed to the PP that a coalition wouldn't have been possible, worse luck (though I actually entertained the hope for a little while that the PP would try to form a coalition anyway).

There's far less chance that "Britain may soon abandon 'Bush's war'", as this writer fears.

There have been protests and celebrity sulks, but only in approximate proportion to those on the US.

Even if a terrorist strike occured in the run-up to the general election, you couldn't get a mirror image of the Spanish debacle. Both the British Government and Opposition support 'Bush's war.'

Maybe so but there's a pretty broad feeling among the general public that British troops were irresponsibly used when there was no real danger to the UK from Saddam Hussein and there's not much point contributing fighting men if the Yanks are calling all the shots anyway.

The new Spanish government plans to abandon the Iraqi people if there is no UN mandate. But if there is a UN mandate, as is currently expected, they may stay. One possible future scenario: The traditional Middle Eastern countries like Iraq, Iran and even Syria democratize and become capitalist, as their people hope. Meanwhile, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and perhaps Spain become majority Muslim but repressive and anti-capitalist, since neither the Islamic radicals nor the Continental Socialists think much of freedom and free markets. So the US ends up allied with the English speaking countries, Eastern Europe, the free Middle Eastern countries, and the free Asian countries.

Peter Miles,

Tragically for the Spaniards, during the months leading up to the election they appeared to have decided that all-in-all the PPD was the party of choice. Had Aznar's party been down on the poll for months, one could say this was a thoughtful democracy working, etc, etc. But it was not like that. It was a sudden, knee-jerk reaction which should have been met by defiance not submission; followed by a serious investigation of why civil liberties should allow a suspect to act freely just because he has not (yet) committed a specific crime.

Any Anglo-American who looks at the lessons of Madrid can draw nothing but greater resolve in fight, greater conviction that you will have to go it alone, and greater willingness to set aside the civil liberties of terrorists until that day when they finally surrender.

This is a good editorial. 'The Spanish dishonoured their dead.'.