[lit-ideas] Re: Europe's September 11 ?
- From: "Didier Agid" <dagid@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 01:39:37 +0100
11-M, as they call it there was meant to be an attack at same scale as 9/11.
Timing of the bombs were sheduled to make the station collapse on the crowd,
like the Twin Towers did. Fortunately, something went wrong, which "limited"
the number of victims.
Now, about the voting.
- New voters were mainly the yougest who traditionally vote rather left.
- For once the opposition had a good candidate.
- The main reason for many to shift votes to opposition was that Aznar
bluntly lied by accusing ETA (and thus also insulting the Basques). If ever
he's been sincere, it would prove an astonishing ignorance about terrorism.
- The Spaniards considered that 11 million demonstrating in the streets (1
person out of 4 !) and voting was the best immediate answer to terror :
"look, here we have a democracy we've paid a high price in our history,
that's what our people wants, get off !".
- Those who voted as an opposition to Aznar's alliance with US/UK on Iraq
only noted this policy had just proven to be inefficient as an action
against terrorism. They didn't need Colin Powel to advocate the US position
in Iraq. Aznar and his party had done it.
Remember, my first reaction when we started discussing Iraq on Phil-Lit was
"why fight the enemy where the enemy is not". Iraq had no or very few
training camps. Iraq appears to be one of the countries where you find less
WMD. Of course, getting rid of Saddam was positive, but it has little to do
with terrorism in the West. Besides, some remembered the US were quite
satisfied with Franco's dictature.
There are about 50,000 trained terrorists in Europe. It's usually said that
about 10% of European Muslims view Bin Laden with some sympathy. What's to
be done is give means and coordinate intelligence and police services to
locate and dismantle networks. These services have a meeting next friday.
Then, there's a political, social, cultural work to be done to marginalize
more extreme Islamists from Muslims communities and the population of Muslim
countries (Morocco's population and government support Spain and
cooperate)., not let them be, as Mao used to say on guerillas, like fishes
in the water. The law against islamic scarf in schools is our way to
indicate and underline to the young Muslims they belong to a Republic which
has rules but brings hopes. Of course, in the US, it was considered as
"anti-religious". Well, the US have God on their side, everybody knows that,
but the Islamists think the same and decided we should be punished for that
law. You know what ? Nobody in coward France ever spoke of withdrawing the
law... Another thing is to establish rules allowing control of financial
transfers. How long shall we stand tax havens ? All this requires bravery
and determination. A man like judge Baltasar Garzon did an excellent work in
Spain. Could not prevent the Madrid attack but really harmed some islamist
groups. When the enemy is scattered, sending an army is not a solution. I
suppose that's what Prodi meant.
My grandson (7) lives 400 km from Madrid. Still, he has a schoolmate whose
uncle lost one arm and one leg in Madrid. Should I tell him 'Don't worry,
there are soldiers in Baghdad fixing all that ?".
David Brooks' article in NYT is simply disgusting. I hope not too many
Spaniards read it, would increase the Mars-Venus drift (I know there's
nothing funny in all that, but I can't help imagining David Brooks telling
face to face to a Spaniard he's Venus... would be his last sentence in this
world).
Didier
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