Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the famous Spanish author of the book 'Don Quijote' (short title) once wrote "He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he that loses his courage loses all." How profound those words are, and certainly must be to many of the people who have lost the second of those first two things, in this war we now fight. How dispiriting it is as well that so many others, following the sickening terrorist attacks of March 11 in Madrid, now seem to have lost that precious third thing.

The loss of courage of which I write is embodied in the actions of a plurality of voters in Spain, who only two days after those attacks elected a new Prime Minister named Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. His Socialist party has been highly critical of former Prime Minister Aznar's decision to support U.S.-led military actions in Iraq, and Zapatero is now promising to withdraw all Spanish troops from that country in the coming months. The overwhelming opinion of the people who voted against Aznar is that his administration is at least partially responsible for those attacks, because the terrorists who brought them about only did so to punish Spain for siding with the United States. While it may be true that Al-Qaeda has targeted Spain for being a U.S. ally, one has to ask what the people of that country expect from these terrorist now... kudos?

Just today I read an article in WorldNetDaily which exposes Al-Qaeda's intent to cause the very outcome that has come about in Spain's election. In a document obtained by CNN, which was originally posted on an internet message board in December of 2003, the following words appear. "We think the Spanish government will not stand more than two blows, or three at the most, before it will be forced to withdraw because of the public pressure on it." This statement was reported to have been made by Al-Qaeda and its confederates. The authors went on to add that "If its forces remain after these blows, the victory of the Socialist Party will be almost guaranteed - and the withdrawal of Spanish forces will be on its campaign manifesto."

Economist Lorenzo Bernaldo de Quiroz said recently that "Spaniards have voted with their hearts, not with their heads." Truly this is the case, for had the people of Spain taken the time to think about their decision, they likely would have come to understand that withdrawing troops from Iraq at this time will only further embolden the terrorists who attacked them. By voting out the man who has stood by President Bush and the other members of our war coalition, the people of Spain are handing a victory to Osama Bin Laden and everyone like him! They are sending these parasites an unambiguous message that the acts of murderers can and will shape the way they are governed, and that if they are attacked, they will retreat.

Whether or not this was their intention is irrelevant, for the fact remains that their sudden, knee-jerk reaction to the horrific events of the 11th will indeed strengthen the resolve of terrorists everywhere and increase the threat of mass murder to the free people of the world. The reluctance of the Spanish people to strike a defiant posture during this time of tragedy has opened a door for the appeasers among them to walk through, and that they have now done. The enemy within has just been allowed to bring the nation of Spain to it's knees in the face of threats by the enemy without.

If what I've just written is insulting to our former allies in this world war, then so be it. I make no apologies for my position or for my intent. I'm as deadly serious as any Al-Qaeda terrorist can be, and I reject the proposition that I or anyone else will be safer by simply ignoring the threat we face. I expect harsh criticism for what I write, and welcome any confrontation over it. I have the righteousness of my cause to strengthen me and find solace in my honor during times of adversity. That is something which my enemies cannot claim, and, apparently, those concepts are equally as alien to many people in Spain who would rather bend over and take what's given them than spit in the faces of their adversaries and deal with the consequences.

If the Spanish people should fail to understand the point I'm making here or refuse to listen to the criticisms of the many millions of people out there who think as I do, then our efforts may well be for naught, but let them at least lend their attention to an ancient Spanish proverb which relates "A life lived in fear is a life half lived." Those words are as true today as they have always been. Allow fear to gain purchase in your heart and you will be enslaved by it. Bend to its will and you shall lose your own. The citizens of Spain have just made a horrendous mistake, but they need not repeat it, and if they heed the following words, they won't. Terrorists cannot be reasoned with or ignored. The only option left to the free people of this planet is victory over them, and victory is accomplished, in part, by making those you fear, fear you more.

Edward Daley