Bob, I think one of the difficulties for anyone here is to make a separation between spin and strategic orientation.

No doubt you are right, and I will agree with you, that the ’spin’ of the UK govt over Iraq was not justified. That in fact is why I am outraged with Blair.

The Eta ’spin’ which formed part of the PP mindset may have disoriented them given the unique set of circumstances they found themselves in at three days from the elections (this was obviously part of the thinking behind the attack).

It could well be argued that the PP have played down the danger of an Al Qaeda attack given the unpopularity of their participation in the war here in Spain. I doubt that this could be argued about the security forces in general, who seem to have been pretty focused on these groups.

So privately they have been taking the threat pretty seriously.

The only real difficulty for them has been finding themselves in a situation where they needed to change horses in midstream.

Had this happened a month before the elections I imagine the ’spin’ would have adapted, and no particular difficulty would have been attached to the PP. After all they can argue, and I think many more will be arguing across Europe, that this indiscriminate terrorism vindicates their stance on Al Qaeda, and their solidarity with the US.

I mean the opposition party can’t really argue that they want a special truce for Spain with Al Qaeda, and hope the attacks go eg to France or Italy, now can they?

One point that is being missed in all the talk about the Iraq war is the special connection between Spain and Morrocco. This undoubtedly forms part of the picture.

In conclusion: if your point is that one’s initial preconceptions can sometimes blind you to another reality. I agree, and mea culpa.

If it is about ’spin disorientation’: then I also agree, but show me the country where this doesn’t happen. This is one of the central problems of contemporary politics.

This is undoubtedly true Bob, but in fairness to me and the PP (we are I hope different!!), we have both in our differing ways corrected.

There is no evidence whatsoever that the PP intervened in any way to influence the course of the police investigation.

Angel Acebes appeared before the TV cameras to give information about the discovery of the first audio tape relatively soon after the discovery. As far as I am concerned from this time onwards he has given up-to-date information. And remember I am not expecially sypmpathetic to the PP. I simply feel that a British sense of fairness means I have to say this.

On the other hand those who oppose the PP have used their informational vulnerability fairly opportunistically in my opinion. It is no good news that this may well be Al Qaeda: yet there are many out there in the streets who seem almost gleeful at the revelation for the discomfort this causes the PP.

Maybe it can be argued that with eight years of informational arrogance this is deserved. In another moment I would be sympathetic to that view.

But think of the dead, and think of the magnitude of what lies before us.

The police in West Yorkshire, where the murders occurred across a wide geographic area of conurbations, became absolutely convinced that the Ripper came from the north-east region of England because of a taped message, in a pronounced geordie accent unique to the north-east region, supposedly from the Ripper and taunting the police for their failure to capture him. The message was replayed time and again on the radio and in local shopping centres with requests for information from anyone who recognised the voice.

Despite police interviews of the actual murderer at least twice, he was not suspected because he didn’t fit the profile of someone from the north-east region. Eventually, he was arrested by freak chance, by a different police force in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, about 30 miles south of his usual stomping grounds, for an apparently unrelated vice crime. In the meantime, there had been several more murder victims in West Yorkshire.

I’m also reminded of recent commentary in the American media reporting that any incoming intelligence before the Iraq war conflicting with the administration line on the threat from Iraq’s WMD was discarded. Much the same seems to have happened in Britain too. No wonder Blair wants us to forget about the infamous dossiers published by the government with the claim, signed by Blair, that Iraq’s WMD could be used “within 45 minutes.”

“MADRID, March 13 (Reuters) - Anti-government demonstrations sprang up across Spain on Saturday night in apparent protest at the initial blaming of Basque separatist group ETA for rail bombs in Madrid two days’ ago that killed 200 people.” - from: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L137168.htm

“A crowd of left wing and anti-war demonstrators outside the headquarters of Spain’s ruling Popular Party has swelled to thousands. The protesters are accusing the Spanish Government of deliberately manipulating the information about the devastating bomb attacks in Madrid. Jose Maria Aznar’s Government had claimed armed Basque group ETA was the prime suspect. Analysts say Mr Aznar’s centre-right party, which has campaigned against ETA, would have picked up votes if it was perceived ETA carried out the attacks.” - from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1065468.htm

As I say in the other post: all information here is political, everyone has an axe to grind. So you can take nothing like this at face value. Next week all this will become much clearer.