My wife awakened me this AM with a report of another bombing in a beach resort in Alicante Province: Santa Pola.

I think Santa Pola is primarily a Spanish resort (i.e., not swarming with etranjeros like Benidorm). It's a real shame that they picked August to do this dastardly deed!

Yes Eddie. It occured in Santa Pola in Alicante. (SEE HERE to read a CNN article on the aftermath of the bombing) A 6 year old girl was killed. The etarras are truly brutal savages. Many here are screaming bloody murder. It will be very interesting to see what the government's response is to the barbaric attack.

In the current global atmosphere against terrorism, it would seem appropriate that, if the Spanish government was looking for an excuse to take severe action against ETA, this could be it.

During Aznar's post-bombing speech yesterday, he referred to EH, the political-wing of ETA, as 'basura' garbage/rubbish. That's the first time I'd heard him use such a direct insult when talking about them. We'll see what happens...

I pulled the attached from CNN Europe - hope its not a duplication of Tony's efforts

http://europe.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/08/05/spain.bomb/index.html

I don't think that Aznar's insults are helping the situation. Perhaps he should tone it down a bit from that sort of tough talk. Using words like "basura" are only sure to inflame the situation and cause ETA to strike again.

Perhaps, but standing there and saying 'España va bien' (Spain's doing well - Popular PP campaign slogan) doesn't seem to be working well either.

Call me what you like, but I have to go with Garzon on this one. Spain needs to get tough with ETA...de una vez (once and for all) and not pass laws that are token human rights initiatives that are later just shelved and never acted upon.

I not only think that Aznar needs to say that EH is 'basura,' but needs to act upon what he's saying.

Those who know me from my posts elsewhere may have noticed that I'm generally pretty neutral on political issues. However, as the father of a 5 year old, I feel especially enraged at the taking of the life of a 6 year old girl in this last brutal, senseless attack.

Well, they HAVE just killed a man and A 6 YEAR-OLD LITTLE GIRL, it's really HARD not to insult them y'know....

Cali, unfortunately, here we have realized a long time ago that those "nightmerish individuals" strike every chance they get, I don't think what anybody else does or says truly affects them much, they just kill whenever they can, period.

Thank you Tony for proving my two theories correct:

1. Sarcasm doesn't travel well via bulletin board posts;

2. Even if you're norteamericano, a little time amongst "the natives" will most likely eliminate any sarcastic sense one ever had.

CaliBasco [Who dedicates his prior post to Asterault. Eres profeta, amigo...must tell others]

Might want to look further than ETA if you're outraged at killing of children... it's an outrage no matter where it happens and there are more flagrant violators than ETA for sure. How about Iraq? Afghanistan? New York? West Bank?

It's a big **** sandwich and we all gotta take a bite. I forget where that comes from je je...

*Disclaimer: the above remarks are not the viewpoint of MadridMan(TM), Spain(R), ETA(patent pending), or the United States. The United States is a registered trademark of WalMart and Enron corporation. All rights reserved. Readers should not infer nor draw conclusions from remarks about poster.

Oooo MadridMan has "yankee censor-matic" turned on on this thing! I didn't type ****

You're absolutely right Asterault. It's not right and is most certainly equally outraging no matter who does it or where it's done...under ANY circumstance.

The difference in this case is that I don't live in the other places you mentioned. I live in Spain. My daughter is here too. That's why it's affected me so I guess. This is now 'my back yard.' Not to mention, I was 30 kilometers from where the bombing took place when it happened.

I believe that pretty much all of us have been guilty at one time or another of becoming desensitized by what we see on television as being somebody else's problem and then getting angry when it happens in our own back yard.

Regarding my 'local' point of view and opinion on this particular matter, I believe that anyone who's a parent would most likely feel a larger tug on our heart if we see a child's life taken senselessly so close to us as has been the case here. I mean, it wasn't her fault she was born the daughter of a guardia civil member and turned into a target as a result...just as it's not an Iraqi or Afghan child's fault that they were not born in a more economically sound and advantageous country like Spain, the US, etc...and don't enjoy the same advantages that you guys and I do, right?

I don't know if you guys are parents or not. That may make a little bit of a difference in my case. I don't know. It would seem as though you guys may have different convictions than I do on the issue. That's ok with me. I'll respect that for whatever reason you may have. I'm just not choosing to be quiet about this life that was lost. I think of her and then I think about my own daughter. It literally makes my heart sink...

Again I repeat, you're right. My daughter like this girl who lost her life this past weekend as well as Iraqi, Afghan, Somali children, etc...etc...etc... deserve our equal consideration too.

...Sensing a turn down an unknown back street, CaliBasco continues forward in his Opel Omega...

Yes tony, we're dads too...it's just that if you dwell too much on all of the negativity in the world today [much of it, unfortunately, directed at kids, whether intentionally or not] you're going to miss your kids growing up.

Even when you teach your kids what to do in extenuating circumstances it sometimes isn't enough. Just ask Samantha Runyon's mom here in Orange County. Samantha always told her mom that if someone tried to grab her that she could get away because "[She] can run really fast and [she's] as strong as Hercules". Well, Alejandro Avila is no Hercules, but apparently got what he wanted from a five year-old who is now dead.

My point is, and I'm way off topic, way off Spain [sorry all], is that made by Asterault: There are SOBs everywhere, and it doesn't matter if you're living in KC, NYC, LA, Madrid, Malaga, whatever...you do what you can to enjoy life. If you're not enjoying life, you may need your head examined, as at last check, the good guys still outnumber the bad, regardless of what you read in El Pais or see on CNN. Maybe that's why we like this board so much...we all seem to be "good guys".

CaliBasco [Who refuses to let anyone control his thoughts by their actions]