Decius wrote:

] Still, it is acknowledged that the outcome of the election was
] the result of the bombing.

At best, opinion polls show that the Spanish people were against the occupation of Iraq since its beginning, and the election reflected that view. The only point of debate is whether the government's obfuscation over the Madrid bombs caused their defeat or merely ensured it. If elections were called in the UK today, most poeple would relelect the coalition-supporting government. But if asked about the war in Iraq, most would oppose it. Again, oversimplications, such as you put forward, cannot be sustained. The occupation was unpopular and undemocratically promoted in the UK and Spain, it remains so today. For most people in mature democaracies, it appears both illegal and immoral.

RE: USNews.com: Suspicions about a new terrorist attack have U.S. spies scrambling (5/31/04)