Brief Overview
The document I selected is from a report to members of Congress, issued by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The report provides an outline of the March 11, 2004 subway bombings in Madrid, and how the Popular Party-controlled Spanish government quickly lost credibility by immediately blaming Basque terrorist groups when the attacks more closely resembled the planning, precision, and magnitude of Al Qaeda (or Al Qaeda-like) groups. As a report to congress, two crucial analyses emerge from there: (1) the possibility of Islamic terrorists successfully exerting influence in a Western election, and (2) the implications of new Prime Minister Zapatero's military-as-a-last-resort stance given the crucial role Spanish bases play in the initiation and support of US military campaigns in the Middle East.
Questions for consideration:
1) Is the possibility that Spain might restrict or revoke US privileges to establish and use bases in Spanish territory credible? If not, is highlighting such a possibility to politicians, particularly in the US House of Representatives, responsible? Does it contribute to empty rhetoric, political polarization, or misunderstanding in the US government?
2) The Socialist Party's victory was a surprise, with the Popular Party expected to maintain power by at least a narrow margin. Does the Socialist win signal the possibility of terrorist groups successfully changing the outcome of Western elections? What would be their motive? What implications does that possibility have for other European nations and/or the United States?
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