And there goes Spain...

[maluckey]

While on active duty, and even after I ETS'ed as well, I had the umm....pleasure (cough...cough......) of being part of a few units that trained other combat units. This included the United States forces (of course), Spaniards, Germans, French, Finnish, Scandinavians, and a few others. Granted this was 8 years ago, but my opinion then, was that it' was good that the Spanish and French didn't have aggressive neighbors. Though their field rations were a cut above, their combat performances were not good at all.

In all defense (no pun intended), the French were VERY good at defensive postured engagements. No surprise what with the Maginot Line and all as their answer to Germany's agression, it would seem that defense is ingrained. The Spaniards were not so good, all-around. I can only hope that things are better nowadays, though it would seem otherwise...

 

[biostud]

It seems that UN will be given more power, and thereby the whole operation will be rendered more legitimate to those countries who don't believe in Neo-con propaganda. (That would include most of the Iraqi population I think) Legitimization will make more people (In the democratic conutries at least) support it.

 

[Michael]

dahuman - You're still confusing the unpopularity of the troops being in Iraq with the polls before the bombing. The deployment was very unpopular. The ruling party was still expected to easily win. That changed after the bombing.

Michael

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Michael
dahuman - You're still confusing the unpopularity of the troops being in Iraq with the polls before the bombing. The deployment was very unpopular. The ruling party was still expected to easily win. That changed after the bombing.



Michael

Easily win? The news was reporting they were but a few percentage points ahead.

Then the attacks hit and the existing administration was putting on a full-court press blaming the Basques and then evidence was pointing to Al Qaeda and that set off enough fence-sitters or people who weren't going to vote to then vote for Zapateros.

 

[Michael]

"Before Zapatero's Socialist Party upset victory following terrorist bombings in Madrid in March, Spain had been one of the staunchest U.S. allies in Iraq."

from:

CNN story

If you read a bunch more of the stories around the actual election, you would see that there was a big change compared to what was expected before the bombing.

Personally, I'm not convinced that it was the bombing itself that caused the shift. Rather, it was the government's reaction to it.

Michael

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: tnitsuj
Cowards. They should be cowboying up at this crucial time in the war in Iraq as we are..but we all know just how much backbone Europeans have.

if they're not with us, theyre against us. F*CK THE FREE WILL OF THE SPAINISH PEOPLE lets nuke em out right because theyre useless to us


:roll:

The general consent of spainiards was against the invasion of iraq, but the administrator of the time went the other way (much by the example of tony blair). Maybe, just maybe, there are countries beyond the reach of the red-white-blue propaganda machine where people go with international law rather than media keywords such as WMD or combatant

 

[LunarRay]

Originally posted by: Insane3D
Ray, I was just pointing out the sarcasm. It sounds like your post was directed @ DaFinn.

Yeah.. I'm confused by all this change.. sorry..

 

[MrYogi]

Originally posted by: tnitsuj
Cowards. They should be cowboying up at this crucial time in the war in Iraq as we are..but we all know just how much backbone Europeans have.

Cowards for what? For not getting themselves killed or killing Iraqi Civilians including women and children? Do not forget that this is a Daddy's war (continuation of Senior Bushs war) waged on a lie.