I agree, and I didn’t mean to insinuate this. They could though be looking for specific people and having a ‘trawl’ to try and find them. In the process of the ‘trawl’ you obviously find a lot of undocumented migrants. They are - eg- looking for Mohammed al Gerbouzi. Now how do you go about the job? OTOH maybe a 142 arrest raid is a bit of a blunt instrument.

“I am very afraid that the Iraq war is going against migration”.

So am I, although I would rephrase that: the increase in terrorism following and arising out of the Iraq war. Despite all the speculation about them, I doubt the people we are dealing with understand enough economics to get this connection, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be one of the negative impacts. If you look at the Spanish surveys concern about immigration is shooting up the priority lists.

OTOH

“Half a dozen more of Madrid o London bombings and the public pression against muslim inmigrants would be uncontrollable”.

This they do want, as it expands their recruitment potential.

142 arrests. Too many people to be jihadist names delivered by the spanish police. My speculation is that they are just petty criminals of arab origin arrested just in case, or in order for Berlusconi to show that everything is under control to the italian people.

“I am in favour of increasing economic migration to meet demographic needs, but this process needs to be regulated and orderly”

So I am in favour of migration and regulation, but I am not sure that regulation is going to help. Maybe just hiding jihadist in a legal framework under false identity.

I am very afraid that the Iraq war is going against migration. Half a dozen more of Madrid o London bombings and the public pression against muslim inmigrants would be uncontrollable. Not to speak of an attack with chemical weapons, as the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway.