Quote:
Originally posted by Yorick:
Really bad move. Shows terrorism works, and will encourage more of it. A stronger show would have been to say "HAH! Now you've done it... we're staying" and pulled out in a year, as per the mandate.
Some nations have balls. Others cave to terrorism. Good thing Spain weren't always cavers or the Spaniards would still be subjegated by the Muslim Moors.
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Of course, many of the Hawks would love to see the Iraq war as part of the war on terrorism - but it is not. If anything the entire Iraq war has worked in Al'Qaida's failure by not only removing one of its strongest enemies from power - but by also providing it with propaganda that was simply PRICELESS.
And while all of that intelligence and military time, effort and money have been diverted away from the real business of catching Al'Qaida and it's affiliates, those organisations have managed to gain time to regroup, reorganise and recruit new members to its cause.
Indeed, the very first words out of Zapatero's mouth upon hearing the result of the elections was: "My most immediate priority is to fight all forms of terrorism. And my first initiative, tomorrow, will be to seek a union of political forces to join us together in fighting it."
Now if those words coupled with redirecting resources away from Iraq and back to the business of catching terrorists equates to 'appeasement' and 'caving-in', then someone will have to provide a new definition of those terms as Zapatero's actions and statements clearly do not fit in with the current definition of them.
Indeed according to the latest Pew Research report:
"In every country except the United States more people say the war in Iraq has hurt the fight against terrorism than say it has helped. Fully two-thirds of Moroccans (67%) say military action in Iraq has done more harm than good in this regard, as do solid majorities in Germany (58%), Pakistan (57%), Turkey (56%) and France (55%). Even in Great Britain, 50% say the war in Iraq hurt the broader struggle against terrorism while just 36% say it helped the war on terrorism."
and if that wasn't bad enough at a time when the US needs allies and their TRUST to help in the REAL war on terrorism:
"At least half the people in countries other than the U.S. say as a result of the war in Iraq they have less confidence that the United States is trustworthy."
Pew Global Attitudes Report: A Year After Iraq War
So let's remember that the war on Iraq has HINDERED US efforts to break Al'Qaida's power - it has certainly NOT helped and continues to draw resources AWAY from the real battle-field.