Andalusia, aka the Nation Formerly Known as Spain

By Nicholas Stix

March 22, 2004
A Different Drummer, and ‘round the Web

I am not a Spaniard.

Somewhere, on March 12, I saw the headline, “We are All Spaniards Now.” It was an allusion to the Le Monde headline from 9/12, “We are All Americans Now.”

As we now know, that initial French (and German) sympathy for America was short-lived. In no time flat, the Old Europe of France and Germany sought to appease Islamist terror, and to hurt America, through claiming to be our allies, while betraying us at every step of the way.

Not so, the Spaniards. The 1,300 troops they sent to Iraq were largely a symbolic matter, but the symbolism was powerful.

After 911, when so much of Europe was making mischief at our expense, many Americans assumed that Europe would react differently, if it were hit. I was one of those Americans. But on the Sunday after 311, a majority of Spanish voters—who pre-311 had supported the ruling, America-friendly Popular Party, voted it out, on behalf of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s Socialist Workers’ Party. It was as if to say to the Islamists who had attacked them, “See, we’re not your enemy.” It was the worst sort of collective cowardice imaginable, because not only did it hurt America, but it did nothing for the Spaniards. Do they think that Muslim suicide bombers are now going to consider Spain their friend?

In a calculated slap at the U.S., Zapatero said that he looks forward to enjoying a “magnificent” relationship with France and Germany. In another slap at the U.S., Zapatero now says that he will not bring the Spanish troops home, if George Bush surrenders control of American troops to the U.N., a position less honest than his pre-election promise to bring home the troops, period. If Zapatero can manage to be so “courageous” towards the U.S., why is he such a craven coward towards al Qaeda & Co.? And what sort of message is he sending to his own, home-grown, Basque terrorists at ETA?

Let’s see. The last time the U.N. pacified a war zone was … never.

Zapatero claimed, “Fighting terrorism with bombs, with operations of ‘shock and awe,’ with missiles, that does not combat terrorism, it only generates more radicalism. The way to fight terrorism is with the rule of law, with international legislation, with intelligence services. This is what the international community should be talking about.”

Speaking to the New York Times, “David,” the world’s most quoted window frame maker, translated Zapatero’s true sentiments into clear Spanish: “Maybe the Socialists will get our troops out of Iraq, and Al Qaeda will forget about Spain, so we will be less frightened. A bit of us died in the train.”

Zapatero’s decision to recognize gay marriage or civil unions, will surely also warm the hearts of Muslim terrorists everywhere.

Those Spaniards who changed their votes, spat on the graves of the now 202 dead.
But let us not forget the millions of Spaniards who stayed the course. To them, I tip my hat.

(Sticking to the neocon party line, on March 16, David Brooks wrote in the New York Times, that the Spaniards had betrayed the Iraqi people. As if this were about the Iraqi people! Claims by Brooks & Co. to be “for the Iraqi people” ring as hollow as domestic advocates’ claims to be “for the children.” In fairness to Brooks, however, much of his column does stand up to scrutiny, and he was the first writer to observe that the Spaniards who switched their votes, sought “a separate peace” with al Qaeda.)

Even ordinary extortionists, when they get paid off, always want more. But as some clear-eyed observers, such as Mark Steyn have pointed out, Muslim terrorists are no ordinary extortionists. Whereas the ordinary kind live to get paid, Muslim extortionists live to kill and be killed. And al Qaeda didn’t just attack Spain due to its alliance with America, but as Steyn also pointed out, due to its expulsion of the Moors (Spanish Muslims) in 1492. As far as al Qaeda (Islam?) is concerned, Spain is the property of Islam.

Since Spain expelled the Jews the same year, do I also get to declare war on it, and demand it become a Jewish state?