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| Europe | |
| Zapatero sez US should dump Bush | |
| 2004-03-18 | |
Prime Minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Wednesday described the U.S. occupation of Iraq as "a fiasco" and suggested American voters should follow the example set by Spain and change their leadership by supporting Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts for president in November. "I said during the campaign I hoped Spain and the Spaniards would be ahead of the Americans for once," Zapatero said in an interview on Onda Cero radio. "First we win here, we change this government, and then the Americans will do it, if things continue as they are in Kerry’s favor."
The Spanish force currently in Iraq is scheduled to come home in April, and a replacement contingent had its farewell ceremony Wednesday at a Spanish military base. Officials said no decision had been made to delay or cancel the transfer. Zapatero said he looked forward to "a profound debate" with the Bush administration about how to effectively combat terrorism. "Fighting terrorism with bombs, with Tomahawk missiles, isn’t the way to beat terrorism, but the way to generate more radicalism," he said. Zapatero’s implicit endorsement of Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, was a surprising public repudiation of a sitting U.S. president by the incoming leader of an allied country and fellow NATO member. Members of Spain’s Popular Party -- which will become the opposition when Zapatero, a 43-year-old lawyer, takes office next month -- immediately criticized Zapatero’s remarks, saying they demonstrated his inexperience in diplomacy. "I think that was extremely un-careful," said Gustavo de Aristegui, a Popular Party member of parliament who is expected to become the opposition’s spokesman on foreign affairs. "A prime minister cannot say that -- maybe an opposition leader can say that." The Spanish interior minister, Angel Acebes, offered no new details about the investigation Wednesday, telling reporters that it had reached "a decisive phase." The Spanish are being assisted by Moroccan investigators and by other European intelligence agencies. The FBI is helping with fingerprint and background checks on some suspects. Also Wednesday, the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that investigators believe the explosives used in the attacks may have been stolen from a factory in Burgos, north of Madrid, and that the detonators had come from a nearby rock quarry. That would suggest a high degree of local knowledge and some sophisticated planning for the attacks. | |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #30 Thanks for the input, but we make our own decisions here, despite what your friend Mr. Kerry might tell you. You have talked to him, right? Paz, Senor Dickweed. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-3-18 10:56:06 PM |
| #29 Is it really Zapatero, or is it more along the lines of Zippodildo??? At this point, the name is one thing, the actions another. Listen, nutcase, you've just got the job. You haven't even gotten settled in yet, and you're trying to bother other people. We CAN take you out - a lot easier than Al-Q took out the trains and got you elected. We can do things that make your economy fold like a flattened Japanese screen in a hurricane. Would you like us to close our NATO Military bases? Why not? Rota? Ditto! Oh, and all those nice overseas contracts you won in Iraq? When they expire... Ask your buddies the French how much it cost them last year when the US quit buying their schtuff, and didn't come visiting. None of that was even HINTED at by our government - it was all accomplished by the ordinary joe-on-the-street American, but France lost BILLIONS. Care to join them? You want Gibraltar handed over: we just might have to back the Brits (and the folks of Gibraltar, that don't want anything to do with you) on that issue, since you've been so dense. Why, we might even help them replace some of that useless artillery in the caves with some up-to-date weaponry - perhaps some leftover GAU-8 cannon and sufficient ammunition to rip the entire Spanish mainland to shreds twice a day for a year. Be very, very careful what you wish for, Senor Zapatero - you might get it. Then you'd just be Senor Zero. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2004-3-18 10:18:12 PM |
| #28 Antiwar is just a vacuous chick, guys. Not hardly worth the trouble to insult. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-3-18 8:18:38 PM |
| #27 Zappy and Baby Assad share a strangely similar head shape. |
| Posted by: Sgt.DT 2004-3-18 6:36:50 PM |
| #26 #11 & 15. Bulldog,I don't think Antiwar can vote in US elections either. There's a rule that says anyone who spells favor with a "u" (favour)is automaticaly disqualified.:) BTW glad to have you commenting regularly again. |
| Posted by: GK 2004-3-18 6:17:38 PM |
| #25 man, Zappy's quite the talker, isn't he? I feel sorry for the Spanish people, they're gonna have to live with the effects of his spew. Bob, do not dis "Fox in Sox". That book is hard. My boy asks me to read it to him all the time, sometimes I believe it's purely out of malice. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-3-18 2:39:38 PM |
| #24 How long does it take to read "Fox in Sox?" |
| Posted by: Bob 2004-3-18 1:49:58 PM |
| #23 AuntyWar's "6 books" comment was surreal. "Oh, yeah, well *I'm* reading 7 of them, and alternating the pages, too ! So there, nyah nyah nyah !" Or she is a young student cramming for a test... |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H 2004-3-18 1:13:55 PM |
| #22 Antiwar - it's one thing to read 6 books, a whole 'nother thing to comprehend and understand them. But I say, whatEVER... |
| Posted by: Raj 2004-3-18 1:08:25 PM |
| #21 This is wonderful, you know because Americans have a backbone and when we get a whif that someone like this is meddling in OUR elections we get pissed. Bush is really liked by the average american - not the elitist in NYC or San Fran (ones who view the world as surrender monkeys in eruo). He talks straight and does not have an air of pretense to him. This is why we AMERICANS like Bush, when he talks straight and not very formal eurotrash squirm but we AMERICANS look with pride to the average joe in the white house. I am confident the Bush will be re-elected, especially if Nader enters the race. America is at war and Bush is the right person at the right time and Americans understand this. Appeasement will not work, way too many american boys have given the ulitmate so we and the freedom loving people around the world can be free. We will never go back to appeasement, at the most we will become isolationists and even more determined to eliminate threats. These left leaning eurotrash had no problem with the US as long as we were eruocentric and taking care of their concerns but when America acts for herself, now this is a problem. I am sick and tired of this duality. Bush had is right - either you are with us or you are with the terrorists. In this fight there is no inbetween, Non-Aligned countries. And for all that think Kerry is so popular because of what you saw on tv recently. Keep in mind that these were primaries of Democratic voters ONLY and their turnout was pathetic (compared to the numbers of registered democratic voters). Anit-War - you really need to get a more clear reasoning instead of spewing bs. And for those who will say Bush stole the election - learn how a prez is elected. Bush won the electoral votes and thus the presidency. Of historical note all Gore had to was win his own home state of Tennese and he would be president and not Bush regardless of Florida. But no Bush won on Gore's home turf. |
| Posted by: Dan 2004-3-18 11:47:51 AM |
| #20 Odd Duck indeed. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-3-18 10:59:06 AM |
| #19 BTW, Spain deal with it: One of five wills of suicide bombers read out in Ansar al Sunna’s video warned "the brokers of the West" that jihad would continue "until we get back [the Jerusalem mosque of] Al-Aqsa and Andalucia [Spain]". The videos appear to offer some support to claims that al-Qaeda’s ideology is motivating, if not directing, the attacks. |
| Posted by: ed 2004-3-18 10:48:13 AM |
| #18 I say ignore this turkey and keep contacts with the adults in Spain. Since Zippy is rooting for a change in the US gov, maybe Bush should "root" for a change in Spain. And since a week ago, we know what works in Spain. Too bad Bush isn't evil as the Socialists smear him. |
| Posted by: ed 2004-3-18 10:43:32 AM |
| #17 Antiwar, oh, yeah, I'll really reconsider my vote for Bush...AS IF a moron like you could sway me. I'm tempted to tell you to forget the books; learning is clearly lost on you. Obviously, you can't do justice to 2 careers, so perhaps your RB posting career has to be sacrificed... You did remind me to not only vote for Bush again, but to send the Bush-Cheney 2004 people even more money! Thank you! |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-3-18 10:24:35 AM |
| #16 /spaz |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-3-18 10:07:54 AM |
| #15 Antiwar - 6 books am impressed. Ill reconsider my political allegiances to but am in UK so cant vote for Bush anyway. It must be nice to be so literate wish I was too. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-3-18 10:07:11 AM |
| #14 GK--Hmm...If we put that on it, our "small" will be XXL! Anti--Make sure you color within the lines. Yeah, I know, I know--I'll save you the time and effort: "whatEVER". |
| Posted by: Dar 2004-3-18 9:57:20 AM |
| #13 B Does it have lots of pictures? |
| Posted by: Mr. Davis 2004-3-18 9:27:44 AM |
| #12 Funny thread!! I think Zappy is really giving Bush a boost. Antiwar - here's a link you might enjoy: http://www.grouchy.com/angst/ |
| Posted by: B 2004-3-18 9:15:44 AM |
| #11 Yes Bush has to go. Vote for someone else please. I know a lot of you will probably vote for him but please please reconsider and do the world a favour. Thats all I have time for today as I would like to catch up on my reading am reading 6 books. |
| Posted by: Antiwar 2004-3-18 9:00:42 AM |
| #10 I can't make up my mind whether Zappo looks "evil" or just clueless. I don't think reality is going to end up being too kind to this clown. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-3-18 6:21:58 AM |
| #9 Dar, do you think that "One surrender monkey and 4 out of 5 dictators prefer Kerry" will fit on the T-shirt? |
| Posted by: GK 2004-3-18 4:46:53 AM |
| #8 He is your basic tranzi socialist. Not to be taken seriously. I suggest he take a trip to the Gaza strip to see what a UN run Iraq would end up like. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2004-3-18 2:15:01 AM |
| #7 Who knew you could hate a guy so much in so short a time? I'd never heard of Zappo until Sunday night and I've already made a dartboard with his evil picture on it! The man is possessed by Satan, I tell ya! (Have you seen those Exorcist eyes?!?) If his head spun all the way around, it would *not* surprise me! |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-3-18 2:06:38 AM |
| #6 "There have almost been more killed after the war, from a year ago, than during the war." Sure, Zappo, but how many of them were fed into plastic shredders? How many recent rape complaints against Uday and Qusay? "In the end, the occupying forces have not handed over control of the situation to the U.N." Yes, we can all learn from the UN's sterling performance in Srebenice, Rwanda, Lebanon, Somalia, ad nauseum. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-3-18 1:10:46 AM |
| #5 I've been watching this guy. His high forehead shows a brain. But his unformed jaw shows, to me, a guy who has had a contant argument throughout his life. He's not a happy camper. I would guess a foul mouthed type. Just guessing! |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-3-18 1:08:20 AM |
| #4 I think we are witnessing a severe "ego" problem here. This guy, winning this election, now thinks, he can control the USA? and our election? Sheeezzzz -- the ETA will get him in a minute, cause they now know, he will blame it on the "terrorists," and he will be worshipping with those 72 virgins and never even know what happened..... |
| Posted by: Sherry 2004-3-18 1:01:00 AM |
| #3 Mr. Davis, LMAO |
| Posted by: Damn_Proud_American 2004-3-18 12:53:33 AM |
| #2 Not really. Al-Qaeda endorsed Bush. Zapatero better get back on the reservation or the truce may be over. |
| Posted by: Mr. Davis 2004-3-18 12:44:56 AM |
| #1 You know.... its almost as if Zapatero and Al-Q were in cahoots all along.... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-3-18 12:43:36 AM |