Howard Takes it to the Spanish
okay, whatever blair has done, he has certainly stuck it to the muslim terrorists...he's not apologizing, wilting, appeasing or turning away from the threat. he's meeting the problem head on. and now, howard backs it up.

Howard says Spain guilty of cowardice
By Benedict Brogan, Political Correspondent
(Filed: 20/03/2004)


Michael Howard accused the new Spanish government of "moral cowardice" in the face of Islamist terrorism last night as he vowed to match Tony Blair's tough line against the threat of al-Qa'eda.



The Conservative leader condemned Spain's incoming socialist premier for announcing his country's withdrawal from the allied coalition in Iraq days after the Madrid bombings that killed 202 people.

Sunday's defeat of Jose Maria Aznar, a strong supporter of the invasion of Iraq, and the election of the anti-war Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, was widely seen as a victory for Muslim extremists who have vowed to target governments that backed the US.

Mr Zapatero immediately condemned the US and Britain for launching the war and claimed it had been a disaster. He said Spain would withdraw its 1,300-strong contingent in Iraq this summer.

Although Mr Howard stopped short of criticising the Spanish voters, he was stinging in his condemnation of the new government's decisions.

"Countries cannot insulate themselves from terrorist attack by opting out of the war on terror," he said. "We cannot buy ourselves immunity by changing our foreign policy. Apart from the moral cowardice of that position, it can never work in practice."

In a speech to executives of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation in Cancun, Mr Howard sought to underline his support for Mr Blair in the "war on terror". His firm line was seen as a response to claims that he had tried to exploit the Prime Minister's difficulties over Iraq.
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this is remarkable. the british public is not exactly backing up the government or the opposition in its "tough on terror" line...but its good to know that the professional politicians are willing to disobey the general population...in this case, for their own long term good. this is leadership. you have to stake out a position and lead the electorate sometimes. and that means staking out an unpopular position that you know is the right one sometimes.

better not to make political hay out of a potentially disasterous nightmare. howard could have easily just went with the "peace crowd" and automatically garnered the support of 80% of the british public.

that's remarkable courage to take this stand. it'll take even more courage to face this threat down until its subsided.