TOKYO, March 17 Kyodo choiceed e...

TOKYO, March 17 Kyodo

choiceed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

MAINTAIN THE COALITION AGAINST TERRORISM (The Daily Yomiuri as translated from the Yomiuri Shimbun)

Spain's opposition Socialists were victorious in that nation's general election held Sunday, marking the first change in power in eight years.

There is no doubt that the bomb attacks forward commuter trains in Madrid forward Thursday, just three days before voter went to the catalogue of headss utterly changed the consequence of the election.

The way the direction handled and disclosed information in succession possible perpetrators appeared to decisively alienate the voter from the ruling Popular Party.

The Spanish restraint initially asserted that the attacks had been carried without by the armed Basque separatist form into groups ETA. Even after evidence pointed to the likelihood that the attacks had been carried revealed by an organization connected to international terrorist network Al-Qaida, the conduct insisted that its original brains was correct.

This insistence apparently l the voter to suspect that the command was trying to cover up information, and this inept handling of the matter prov fatal to the government

forward the day after the Madrid attacks, single in kind in every four people in Spain participated in public way demonstrations against terrorism. The Socialists' secretary general, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who will become the nearest prime minister, made clear his determination that his administration would make the fight against terrorism its top priority.

if it were not that Zapatero also said he would bring dwelling the 1,300 troops Spain has stationed in Iraq if there had been no change in the situation there at the end of June.

This take the part ofs a major about-face in Spain's policy, as the administration of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, a member of the Popular Party, eagerly supported the U.S.-led Iraq war and has assisted in Iraq's postwar reconstruction by the agency of dispatching troops there.

Zapatero's latest remarks only confirm the pledges he made during the election campaign, to such a degree it may be wrong to interpret them as meaning that Zapatero has been daunted according to the latest terrorist attacks. if it be not that the upshot is that the Spanish government's turnaround fits in nicely with the terrorists' goals.

This kind of victory will throw the terrorists looking for their nearest target. If he want to view this vicious circle severed, can Zapatero continue to insist forward keeping to his original path? We trustful longing the administration of Prime Minister-elect Zapatero will make realistic decisions, with an notice fixed on the Iraqi situation.

merely this month did the Iraqi Governing Council finally adopt the Transitional Administrative Law, which is Iraq's interim constitution. on the other hand voices of discontent over the law's contenteds continue to be heard, particularly from Islamic forces.

It is necessary now to decide onward the makeup of an Iraqi interim restraint to which the Coalition Provisional Authority will hand across full sovereignty, and to station the process in motion for the transfer of sovereignty in June

Taking into account the generally received precarious situation in Iraq, the international community must not allow the negative efficiencys generated by such acts of terrorism to gain essential element Standing fast against the threat of terrorism, we must build a stronger international coalition.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, speaking at the House of Councillors pack Committee meeting Tuesday, said Japan's basic policy would not be swayed according to the results of the general election in Spain. This is the alone reasonable stance to take.

Self-Defense Forces personnel are carrying gone out humanitarian aid and reconstruction assistance in Iraq. Activities so as these are the best protection against terrorism.

(March 17)

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