Spain’s center/right Popular Party has conceded defeat in popular elections today. The country’s anti-Iraq-war Socialist Party has won the election. According to the BBC:

As he [Popular Party leader Rajoy] tried to address supporters, he was drowned out by cries of "manipulators", "liars" and "peace".

Mr Rajoy - who was to have succeeded Mr Aznar if their Popular Party (PP) was returned to office -- was also forced to find cover after youths hurled abuse as he voted.

Once it became clear that Al-Qaeda was responsible for the murder Thursday of 200 Spaniards and the wounding of 1500, it seems the Spanish populace took the easy way out: the path of appeasement and cowardice. As my dear friend here at netWMD put it:

Now street protestors in Spain are holding signs that read "Peace" and "Cover Up," in a gathering blame-fest against Aznar. I fear the worst. The attacks are most likely the work of Islamists but that will not create momentum for the war on terrorism but its opposite: a potential pull-out of Spain from Iraq. Rather than redouble a commitment to the war on terrorism, the attacks will undermine Aznar's alliance with the United States.

No doubt the Islamists, like Saddam Hussein, know that the West is weak precisely because it is divided. What better way to exacerbate that division than by forcing the Spaniards, many of whom never supported Aznar's decision to join Bush in the invasion of Iraq, to rethink their government's stance in the war on terrorism? If so, then the massacre was a stroke of genius.

My worst fears may come true. We will have to see more carnage in Europe before there is serious resolve in fighting Islamo-fascism.

Spanish voters have dealt a terrible blow to the war on terror. This is all very reminiscent of Hitler’s rise to power in the 1930’s. At that time, Europeans and Americans thought they could appease Hitler. They were wrong. 80 million people had to die to prove them wrong. How many will have to die in the war against Islamo-fascism/Islamism before people realize that weakness and appeasement are not options. After all, it was Osama Bin Laden’s appraisal that the U.S. was weak that brought on the 9/11 attacks.

The Spanish voters have proved to al-Qaeda that terrorism works. How many other governments world-wide will also choose the path of appeasement? It is imperative that George W. Bush win the November U.S. presidential elections, so that there is at least one world power that has the resolve to defeat the anti-democratic forces of Islamism.