Hae-Yu
07-03-2007, 11:09 PM
Survivor tells of ‘nightmare’ suicide attack on tourists
Thomas Cat�n in Madrid
The Spanish Prime Minister was urged to adopt a tougher line on terrorism yesterday as opponents used the death of seven tourists in an al-Qaeda suicide bombing to assail his foreign policy.
Coming just a week after the deaths of six Spanish troops on a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, the latest ambush sparked an angry debate in Madrid.
José Luis RodrÍguez Zapatero, the Prime Minister, expressed his “deep sadness” at the deaths of the tourists in Yemen. But the Government said that it had been informed that al-Qaeda had not specifically targeted the tourists because they were Spanish.
Mr Zapatero has also come under heavy criticism for the attack in Lebanon. Opposition politicians say the roadside bombing could have been averted if the troops had been given electronic jamming equipment.
Mariano Rajoy, leader of the conservative Popular Party, accused the Prime Minister of spurning allies like the US to focus on ineffective pet projects, such as his “Alliance of Civili-sations” initiative, designed to foster dialogue between Europe and the Muslim world.
“Thirteen of our countrymen have been killed by jihadi attacks in the space of just a few days,” Mr Rajoy said. “Terrorism must be fought with our allies, not with other [initiatives] that are good for nothing.”
One tourist told how she narrowly survived the Yemen attack that killed seven fellow travellers on Monday. Speaking from her hospital bed in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, MarÍa Begoña Larrabeiti said that the attack on their convoy of vehicles had been “an absolute nightmare”.
“I jumped through the window,” she told the Spanish Onda Cero radio. “I saw the first car in flames. In the second one, people were in bad shape and in mine people were screaming.”
Ms Larrabeiti, who has wounds on her face and stitches in her arm, was one of six survivors of the attack on Spanish tourists. Two Yemeni guides also lost their lives in the bomb attack, which the Yemeni Government blamed on al-Qaeda.Emphasis mine.
Since Al Qaeda killed the people he is responsible for protecting, but they didn't specifically intend to kill his people (just any ole group of tourists) the Spanish PM has no responsibility to act. Appeasement at its finest.
Thomas Cat�n in Madrid
The Spanish Prime Minister was urged to adopt a tougher line on terrorism yesterday as opponents used the death of seven tourists in an al-Qaeda suicide bombing to assail his foreign policy.
Coming just a week after the deaths of six Spanish troops on a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, the latest ambush sparked an angry debate in Madrid.
José Luis RodrÍguez Zapatero, the Prime Minister, expressed his “deep sadness” at the deaths of the tourists in Yemen. But the Government said that it had been informed that al-Qaeda had not specifically targeted the tourists because they were Spanish.
Mr Zapatero has also come under heavy criticism for the attack in Lebanon. Opposition politicians say the roadside bombing could have been averted if the troops had been given electronic jamming equipment.
Mariano Rajoy, leader of the conservative Popular Party, accused the Prime Minister of spurning allies like the US to focus on ineffective pet projects, such as his “Alliance of Civili-sations” initiative, designed to foster dialogue between Europe and the Muslim world.
“Thirteen of our countrymen have been killed by jihadi attacks in the space of just a few days,” Mr Rajoy said. “Terrorism must be fought with our allies, not with other [initiatives] that are good for nothing.”
One tourist told how she narrowly survived the Yemen attack that killed seven fellow travellers on Monday. Speaking from her hospital bed in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, MarÍa Begoña Larrabeiti said that the attack on their convoy of vehicles had been “an absolute nightmare”.
“I jumped through the window,” she told the Spanish Onda Cero radio. “I saw the first car in flames. In the second one, people were in bad shape and in mine people were screaming.”
Ms Larrabeiti, who has wounds on her face and stitches in her arm, was one of six survivors of the attack on Spanish tourists. Two Yemeni guides also lost their lives in the bomb attack, which the Yemeni Government blamed on al-Qaeda.Emphasis mine.
Since Al Qaeda killed the people he is responsible for protecting, but they didn't specifically intend to kill his people (just any ole group of tourists) the Spanish PM has no responsibility to act. Appeasement at its finest.