Indeed; the Madrid bombing was in the closing weeks of the national election pitting conservative incumbent José María Aznar against Socialist José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Aznar was among the few world leaders who agreed to join the invasion & occupation of Iraq in the "Coalition of the Willing" --a move overwhelmingly opposed by the Spanish public. Even before the bombing, Zapatero campaigned on a promise to withdraw Spanish participation.
In an historic act of cynical exploitation, Aznar quickly blamed the Madrid bombing on Basque separatists, whose political allies supported Zapatero. When al Qaeda took responsibility and their authorship was confirmed, the public turned against Aznar. Zapatero immediately withdrew Spain from the coalition, which he would have done regardless of the Madrid bombing.
Indeed; the Madrid bombing was in the closing weeks of the national election pitting conservative incumbent José María Aznar against Socialist José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Aznar was among the few world leaders who agreed to join the invasion & occupation of Iraq in the "Coalition of the Willing" --a move overwhelmingly opposed by the Spanish public. Even before the bombing, Zapatero campaigned on a promise to withdraw Spanish participation.
In an historic act of cynical exploitation, Aznar quickly blamed the Madrid bombing on Basque separatists, whose political allies supported Zapatero. When al Qaeda took responsibility and their authorship was confirmed, the public turned against Aznar. Zapatero immediately withdrew Spain from the coalition, which he would have done regardless of the Madrid bombing.