Surprised that nobody have posted about this..

[Dregor Thule]

Hey! He's not a draft dodger! He served his country in erratic bursts!

[Xzion]

AQ wins, Spain surrenders is what the headlines should say. Fucking cowards. Obviosly not all, but clearly a majority.

I hate to say this to who i considered to be a respectable officer to my past EQ guild and someone i got along well with, but go fuck yourself.

[Lugon]

Sorry you feel that way Xzion, but after talking to a former co-worker from Spain I stand by the statement. He pretty directly said he was ashamed of this election. But I suppose since he's working towards US citizenship, and he supported invading Iraq, then his opinion means jack shit to most who post here. Nothing but puking out Bush hatred or blame America first attitudes is acceptable here. Sorry, I just briefly forgot that and decided to post. I'll now leave you all to your usual programming.

[Dregor Thule]

Sorry you feel that way Xzion, but after talking to a former co-worker from Spain I stand by the statement. He pretty directly said he was ashamed of this election. But I suppose since he's working towards US citizenship, and he supported invading Iraq, then his opinion means jack shit to most who post here. Nothing but puking out Bush hatred or blame America first attitudes is acceptable here. Sorry, I just briefly forgot that and decided to post. I'll now leave you all to your usual programming.

His opinion is valid, but he's one person in a country of millions. You can't guage a peoples opinions based off of one person. For example, I could say that I think you're a joke, does that mean all of Canada believes it? Probably not, tho I have some faith that if given the chance to read what you post the majority of my countrymen would agree with me.

[Xzion]

Sorry you feel that way Xzion, but after talking to a former co-worker from Spain I stand by the statement. He pretty directly said he was ashamed of this election. But I suppose since he's working towards US citizenship, and he supported invading Iraq, then his opinion means jack shit to most who post here. Nothing but puking out Bush hatred or blame America first attitudes is acceptable here. Sorry, I just briefly forgot that and decided to post. I'll now leave you all to your usual programming.

Being that i was born in Spain and come from a primarily spanish backround, i can honestly say that i, for the most part like the populist party a lot better then the socialist. They provide a growing, capitalist economy while maintaining one of the most socially liberal countrys. AQ could give a flying fuck who won in spain, and most people in this world (who are enemys of AQ) do not link an unnesisary war in Iraq to the War on Terror.

As proven on 3/11, the war of Iraq has only inspired more terror, opposed fighting it.

Lets put ourself in Spain's shoes. Say we went to war with Iraq (before 911) supporting a allied country such as spain, and as a result of our support 911 occured. The american people WOULD NOT re-elect presedent Bush.

[Boogahz]

From: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,214 ... 81,00.html

Three Ringleaders Convicted of Madrid Bomb Attacks

Spain's anti-terrorism court on Wednesday, Oct. 31, sentenced three men to thousands of years in jail for the 2004 Madrid bomb attacks that killed 191 and injured over 1,800.

Judge Javier Gomez Bermudez declared three of 28 defendants guilty of involvement in the March 11, 2004, attacks on Madrid commuter trains. The men received maximum sentences for their roles, in each case amounting to thousands of years in jail, though by Spanish law they can serve no more than 40 years.

Moroccans Jamal Zougam and Otman el-Gnaoui were each sentenced to more than 40,000 years in prison for murder and additional crimes. Spaniard Emilio Suarez Trashorras was found guilty of supplying explosives and sentenced to over 35,000 years in jail.

Seven people -- including Egyptian Rabei Osman el-Sayed Ahmed, who was one of those suspected of masterminding the attacks -- were acquitted. The remaining defendants were found guilty of lesser crimes, such as membership in a terrorist organization.

"Today justice was done and we must now look to the future, strengthening coexistence," Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said after the court handed down its verdict, in comments broadcast on Spanish television.

Most of the defendents were of North-African origin and nine were Spanish. Among the defendants was one woman, who was accused of supplying stolen dynamite. All 28 insisted they were innocent.

The attackers planted 10 backpack bombs on four commuter trains during rush hour on the morning of March 11.

It was the most deadly terrorist attack Spain has ever experienced.


Suicide to avoid capture

The bombers allegedly acted out of allegiance to the al Qaeda terror network and were protesting the presence of Spanish troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Spanish investigators said the guilty parties had not received direct orders or financial support from al Qaeda.

Seven people suspected of involvement in the attacks avoided capture by committing suicide three weeks after the attacks once Spanish police identified their whereabouts.

The trial took place from mid-February until early July. Around 300 witnesses and 60 experts gave testimony. Spain's federal prosecutor called for sentences amounting to 311,865 years in jail.

[Ashur]

40,000 years in jail, huh. Hrm, what's that get down to with good behavior? Like 30,974?

Does that include time served?

[Boogahz]

I'm shocked that they did not actually convict all of the defendents, or give the maximum sentence to all of those convicted.

[Nick]

Well the evidence mustn't have been there, simple as.. really.

The prosecution argument must have been pathetically non existant for the "mastermind" for him to have been acquitted entirely.

[Boogahz]

Don't get me wrong, I understand that they shouldn't convict the people if the proof was not there. Generally in this type of situation (not that there have been a lot of them), one would not expect them to be acquitted even with the evidence lacking...

40,000 years in jail, huh. Hrm, what's that get down to with good behavior? Like 30,974?

Does that include time served?

From the article:

The men received maximum sentences for their roles, in each case amounting to thousands of years in jail, though by Spanish law they can serve no more than 40 years.

[Nick]

Aye, that's what I mean. They will have been begging to find some scapegoats, so if the "mastermind" got acquitted, the evidence must have been really sketchy indeed.

Which raises the question that the Police were just harassing some innocent unfortunate fucker, which is absolutely unnacceptable. I wish the Cops/Prosecution were held to higher standards so this wasn't considered the "norm".