¡Gracias, España! After inviting more Madrid-style bombings, Zapatero offers to help UK 'chase the criminals'

This morning's London bombings are no surprise after Spain's cowardly response last year to the bombings of the Madrid subway system. By pulling Spain's troops from Iraq as the terrorists demanded, Spanish Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero effectively invited more attacks.

Showing no sense of the irony, Zapatero now offers to help the British clean up the mess and, in the words of a Spanish government statement, "chase down the criminals" of July 7.

Initial news reports cite a supposed al Qaeda-related Website as saying that the March, 2004 Madrid bombings and the Spanish public's immediate election of anti-war politician Zapatero motivated today's bombings in London.

The terrorists had demanded a Spanish pullout from Iraq (Reuters today misses the point completely, calling the Madrid bombings "punishment" for Spain's military presence in Iraq), and the Spanish under Zapatero's leadership gave them what they wanted. Critics said such conduct would only invite more attacks.

Other early reports today say that an al Qaeda Website is threatening coalition members Denmark and Italy with the same terrorist treatment.

Zapatero quickly denounced the London attacks, ordered more security, and his government offered to "help chase the criminals" responsible.

For the eurosocialists, terrorism is still a law-enforcement issue. Not a war.