Spain decides to run away

By Alan Caruba
web posted March 15, 2004

The election in Spain that turned the government over to the
Socialists sent a clear message to al-Qaida. Their bombing
worked.

Reportedly, much of the population did not want to join the US-
led coalition to impose regime change on Iraq. Now they have
decided to sit on the sidelines of the global Jihad, but they will
learn some very harsh lessons in the process.

As far as the Jihadists are concerned, any show of weakness is
always an invitation to attack again. Moreover, on March 11, an
al-Qaida dispatch published in the Arabic newspaper, Al-Quds
Hafs al-Masri, crowed about having penetrated "one of the
pillars of the crusade alliance, Spain."

"This is part of settling old accounts with Spain, the crusader,
and America's ally in its war against Islam", said the al-Qaida
dispatch that took credit for the bombings.

Al-Qaida is always referencing the "Crusade" because they
know that the true believers among them, an estimated hundred
million out of the more than one billion worldwide, regard the
Crusades as a dark period of retreat from the holy land. It 
wasn't until 1187 that Saladin was able to recapture Jerusalem. 
The last of the Crusaders were defeated in 1291 at Acre.

Simply stated, one of the goals of the Jihad is to reclaim Spain
for Islam. Europe. Too.

In 711 AD, Muslims invaded Spain and established Islam there
after having taken over all of northern Africa. They would remain
in Spain for seven centuries until driven out by El Cid. An effort
in 732 AD to invade France was defeated at Poitiers, halting
their northward expansion into Europe. However, it would take
until 1492 before Christians captured Grenada, the last Muslim
stronghold in Spain.

Reportedly, after the bombings in Madrid, the French either
contemplated or actually did close their border with Spain. Either
way, the fact remains that there are over five million Muslims in
France and they are second-class citizens there. All of Europe is
in for a period of terrorist attacks and, when the tourism drops
off, their already weak economies will begin to tank.

By showing the white flag of defeat, the people of Spain may
think they have bought some time for themselves and that the
Jihad's show of power will end, but they simply do not
understand the Arab mindset.

For more than fifty years, every time the Israelis offered any
steps toward a peaceful resolution with the Palestinians they
were attacked. Despite having been repeatedly defeated in five
wars, the Arab terror war continues unabated. One would think
Spain and all of Europe would have learned something from that,
but instead of identifying the real enemy, Europe continues to
condemn the Israelis for wanting to live in their ancient homeland.

The memories of the Jihadists go back centuries. They see
themselves as a vanguard of a new holy war to spread Islam.
Spain is just the first stop on the conversion of Europe and
America is now just a little more isolated in its effort to confront
this enemy.
 
The al-Qaida dispatch taunted the premier of Spain whose party
has been defeated. "Aznar, where is America? Who will protect
you, Britain, Japan, Italy and others from us?"

If, in November, America rejects the leadership of George W.
Bush and the policy of confronting the Jihad in the Middle East
where it is brewed, life is going to become quite grim here. Like
the Spanish did on Sunday, we will have signaled retreat and
defeat.

Alan Caruba writes a weekly commentary, "Warning Signs",
posted at www.anxietycenter.com, the Internet site of The
National Anxiety Center. © Alan Caruba 2004