Job Discussion Forums

[dan m.]

is Spain still the target of Islamic terrorists like the dopes from a couple years ago? Or has the change in foreign policy lead to Spain not being a target?

[foss]

Good question - and a highly charged one in the Spanish political arena. There's still an incredible bitterness about the subject among the right-wing Popular Party, who lost the elections 3 days after the bombings.

Some will say that the attacks had nothing to do with ex-president Aznar's support for the Iraq war. They say that the hardcore Islamic fundamentalists want to reconquer Spain (it was al-Andalus for 8 centuries) as there is a holy duty to win back any territory lost to infidels.

More mainstream opinion seems to be cautiously optimistic that Spain is now safer, out of the front line (like France and Germany) although full precautions are being taken, with emergency security on the 7th July.

[sarahbrom]

Good question Dan... and one I'd been thinking about over the weekend. I live in London and after the first lot of attacks here I wasn't worried but now I'm just a little scared.

I hope that what's happened here in London hasn't inspired any extremists in Spain to have another go there. I'm leaving here for Madrid in September but half of me just wants to get as far as possible from terrorist threats! I turned down a job in Santander but over the last couple of days I'm wondering whether I should have taken it, just for the sake of being somewhere relatively safe!

[dan m.]

thanks for the feedback... I remember hearing how the attacks in Madrid had changed the results of the elections. it made me feel sad that they succeeded in getting what the wanted by killing so many people. at the same time I felt like Spain must have become less of a target for extremists because of the fact that their policies had changed. I'm sure it is much more complicated than I'm making it out to be. I guess we can only hope that things will get safer and safer everywhere.

[Moore]

Quote "the attacks in Madrid had changed the results of the elections"
..This is not entirely true, it was the fact that Aznar lied, saying it was ETA long after it was clear to everyone that it was Al Qaida as he was clearly scared that (quite rightly) people would blame his decision to participate in the war in Iraq (over 90 percent of the Spanish population opposed it) - it was seen as so utterly despicable to lie about the cause of so many peoples deaths for political ends that disgusted people.

Removing the underlying excuses for madmen to put bombs in crowded tube trains is not giving in to the extremists or giving them what they want, it is simply taking away any shred of "justification" they may feel they have.