[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 16, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H1077-H1078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE REAL WINNER OF THE SPANISH ELECTIONS

  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I am here this morning to talk about the 
recent tragedy in Spain. The real winner in the Spanish general 
elections was not the Socialist Party or its new Prime Minister or the 
Spanish people. The real winners were the terrorists who murdered 201 
and wounded over 1,500 Spaniards.
  The results in Spain's general elections, in which Prime Minister 
Jose Maria Aznar's party was defeated while the antiwar Socialist Party 
came to power after 8 years out of office, can be almost entirely 
attributed to the devastating terrorist attacks just 3 days before.
  Is it a stretch to credit these terrorists with winning the election? 
Consider this: The day before the train bombings, Aznar's party was 
predicted to win comfortably. A mere 3 days and a changed nation later, 
the Socialist Party, whose main election year promise was to pull the 
Spanish troops out of Iraq, won by 5 percentage points.
  It was an incredible change in just 72 hours. All it took was a note 
from people claiming to be al Qaeda saying they were responsible for 
the bombing. Prime Minister Aznar was blamed by his countrymen for the 
bombings, which they linked to his strong support of the war in Iraq. 
Now the newly elected Spanish Prime Minister is poised to withdraw 
Spain's 1,300 soldiers in Iraq.
  Spain is not the only country under retribution for fighting against 
terror. Pakistan's President General Musharraf confirmed yesterday that 
al Qaeda was behind two assassination attempts against him in December.
  Mr. Speaker, we have reached a critical moment in the international 
war on terror. Al Qaeda has long threatened to attack any country that 
dares to help us. But now a true and valued ally has been hit, and they 
have chosen to withdraw from the coalition of the willing.
  We extend our sympathies and hand in friendship to the people in 
Spain, but we must realize that the surest way to encourage terrorism 
is to let terrorists think that their bombs will make us do their 
bidding. Retreat will result in more terrorism, not less. Appeasement 
begets more appeasement, which leads to war. We can either abdicate our 
responsibilities or face these terrorists with steely resolve.
  The Spaniards have their reasons for voting out the Aznar government. 
They have experienced a shocking ordeal and they responded the only way 
they knew how in the short time they were given. But the people of 
America also had to vote against terrorist attacks with a threat of war 
approaching. In November 2003, the American people stood up to thugs 
like Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein and defied off-year election 
history by choosing Members of Congress from the President's party who 
supported our war against terrorism.
  Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that al Qaeda is an enemy of 
us and Western civilization, not just against our allies in the war who 
are fighting terror. In the international alignment of us versus them, 
the opponents are not the coalition of the willing or, quote, Old 
Europe, not warriors or pacifists. The two sides are tyranny and 
democracy. Al Qaeda's mission is

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not about particular countries; its hate transcends borders. As cited 
by David Brooks in the New York Times today, quote, ``You love life and 
we love death,'' unquote, the purported terrorist said in the videotape 
found in Madrid.
  We are distinguished not by nationality but that we choose freedom 
and the rule of law and the terrorists choose rule by force. We resolve 
our disputes at the ballot box, they with bombs.
  Furthermore, just because a country does not back the war in Iraq 
does not mean that it is safe from terror either. Of Spain itself, 
Osama bin Laden himself said long ago about Spain, modern Spain was al 
Qaeda's enemy because in 1492 the Spaniards removed all Muslims from 
their country. But also Osama bin Laden named Canada as one of al 
Qaeda's enemies, even though our northern neighbor has been especially 
vocal in opposing intervention in Iraq. Turkey refused to let us invade 
Iraq from its territory but it, too, suffered terrorist attacks anyway.
  Mr. Speaker, these terrorists may use the excuse of Iraq to justify 
their massacre of innocents, but the fact of the matter is that their 
groups and these groups like al Qaeda are irrational and remorseless. 
They are barbarians and their only goal is the death of the West. For 
we, the freedom-loving people, appeasement, capitulation, and 
negotiation with terrorists are not options. How the civilized world 
responds to this challenge will determine the future of our society.

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