Hey there Hair..thanks for the clarification!! Naw..never would suggest that the Spanish gov't helped Al-Queda with 9/11 - just that Spain - the geographic Spain, has been a route for Al-Queda's poeple and money into europe and that Spain has been dealing with Al-Queda long before Iraq. Nothing more than that.

See you on the board!

To say that Iraq has nothing to do with terrorism is to ignore the current state of affairs in the world, especially the Middle East, and to pretend that the world is the same as it was before the invasion of Iraq. I firmly believe that one year ago secular Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with the war on terror, namely the war against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, and the invasion of this country was actually detrimental to the nation's war against the perpetrator of 9-11. The Taliban now controls something like 1/3 of Afghanistan again, and by all accounts Al-Qaeda is growing in power by the minute. Spaniards were absolutely correct in opposing the war and arguing that the connection just wasn't there.
But now, NOW, there is a connection. Bin Ladin and his followers see the invasion of Iraq as just another example of the West trying to take over the world. Although Saddam and Bin Ladin were from two ends of a political spectrum, Bin Ladin can now, with Saddam gone, take up the cause of the Iraqi people and fight for the end of the occupation, thereby winning over some Iraqis to his cause.
The reactionary pulling out of Iraq by Spain does indeed give the terrorists what they want. Although Spaniards were absolutely correct in not supporting the war in Iraq in the first place, today is different. The war in Iraq was a self-fulfilling prophesy on the part of the Bush administration that destabilized a region and provided a breeding ground for terror. Iraq now is a major front in the war on terror, and Spain is turning its back. At least the US isn't pulling out until the job is done. (Knock on wood.)

And what job would that be? Viewing this from the states, i still have yet to hear a legitimate reason for occupying a country that should not have been occupied in the first place. I think the Spanish are wise to leave if the UN does not enter the scene. The US CAN NOT and SHOULD NOT "rebuild Iraq" by itself. This is the kind of power and control only Iraquis and the UN shold have. Isnt that what the UN is for? All the talk of rebuilding democracy in Iraq makes me want to vomit and you can bet that when election day comes to America, many people will vote for the democratic opposition to prevent Bush from doing any more harm to the world and to the US reputation.

Responding to Mariposita:

"There have been no big rallies here in solidarity that I know of... I'm so saddened by this."

Maybe DC didnt do anything, but we in New York sure did! There were manifestaciones in front of the UN and Instituto Cervantes. New Yorkers, having experienced terrorism before, came out in good numbers. Hate to say this, but DC is the most insular city I know and the only thing I can tell you is to go give flowers to the Spanish Embassy. There are many flowers there....

kat

On Saturday here in Pittsburgh we're marching for peace, marking the first anniversary of the Iraq invasion. Several of us are bringing Spanish flags with black ribbons on. And voter registration forms to hand out in the neighborhood!
For what it's worth, us remaining American peaceniks are still giving it a chance.

Today I covered a funeral for an American Dept. of Defense "advisor" and ex Marine shot dead at an Iraqi police checkpoint March 2. He was supposedly helping Iraqis rebuild their TV/media infrastructure.
His widow and three children were handed the flag from his coffin and a few posthumous medals. The spit-and-polish honor guard made a 21-gun salute and blew "Taps." It was moving.
And that was all she wrote.
His Commander says he didn't die in vain.
Maybe not. My question is: What the hell was he doing there in the first place? If invaders hadn't destroyed the TV/radio infrastructure already there, he never would have gone over to be killed by thugs. He'd still be home in Level Green, playing with his kids.
How many of these soldiers have to die?
It makes ya think.
(and yes, I wrote a fair, balanced story.)

Reb.

Gata- What job? What Job? Well, let me give you a simple analogy to clarify what I'm trying to say. Let us say you are working in a chemistry lab and don't know exactly what you are doing. A more experienced scholar has advised you not to carry on with your experiment. However, your pride and your "unwavering will" compel you onward. You subsequently drop a bottle of acid and it creates a huge, destructive mess. Would you say "Oops, I messed up. See ya!" and leave the mess for your more experienced colleague, or would you say "Oops, I messed up. I guess I will have to stay and clean up."
The USA made a huge mistake in invading Iraq, but to pull out would create an even larger mess. The UN is a vital tool in helping to create a semblance of peace, order and "democracy" in the region, but the the UN cannot do it alone. And, quite frankly, it is not their mess.

I always enjoy how Americans in particular have to make little analogies. "Well it's like a coffee shop, and Osama is making the espresso..." or "There's a car and Osama is driving..."

Yes, actually, I am from New York and don't make stupid analogies. Let me continue yours:

You are not an employee of said lab, you are a thief. You have no colleagues there. People told you to stay away, and the lab employees would prefer to handle their own mess, or to call someone who is not a thief to do it.