The Tribune’s editorial “Testing Spain’s resolve,” (Editorial, March 17) takes the new Spanish government and its leader, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, to task over his pledge to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. The editorial points out that the war in Iraq “was overwhelmingly unpopular among the people of Spain.” This continues to be the case in the light of the tragic events in Madrid.
A free democracy, such as Spain, puts its trust in the people. The people of Spain have spoken and the government has simply decided that their wishes should be respected. Thus, the likely withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq. I agree with the Tribune’s assertion that terror, wherever it occurs in the world, needs to be defeated. But the Spanish citizens see the original reason for going into Iraq as flawed. This flaw, combined with the tragedy on its own soil, was enough to move them to pull their troops out of Iraq.
Spain has not resolved to give in to terrorism; rather, it has made its own choice of not losing any more of its citizens. Spain has the right to make such a choice and the United States, along with the Tribune, should respect that.
