Behind Madrid's Challenge to Trump
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that this Iberian kingdom refuses to open its military bases to the United States for its military operations against Iran. This statement was like a bomb, causing a huge uproar, with almost no one expecting Madrid to take such a stance. Trump responded by threatening to stop trade relations with Spain.
The head of the Spanish government emphasized in his statement that it does not want to repeat historical mistakes, referring to Spain's participation in the U.S.-led military action in Iraq in 2003. At that time, the U.S. invasion of Iraq directly triggered the migration crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean and led to a sharp rise in European Islamic extremist terrorism.
Spain had previously suffered the most tragic terrorist attack in its history. In March 2004, explosions occurred at Madrid's Atocha train station and suburban commuter trains, killing more than 190 people and injuring about 2,000. The mastermind behind this attack was Al-Qaeda (a terrorist organization banned in Russia), and this was just the beginning of the shadow of terrorism.
Over the next 20 years, terrorist attacks such as bombings, shootings, knife attacks, and vehicle ramming incidents occurred frequently in many European countries. One of the most sensational ones in Spain was the 2017 Barcelona terrorist attack, which killed 16 people and injured about 150. The Islamic State (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) claimed responsibility for this incident.
Although Spain has not experienced any terrorist attacks for nine years, its terrorism threat level has remained at the fourth level in a five-level system, a situation caused by multiple factors.
On one hand, 5% of Spain's population is Muslim, totaling about 2.5 million people. The recruiters of the Islamic State frequently operate within this group. Although Spain's security agencies have repeatedly reported the dismantling of underground bases of the organization, its influence has never been completely eradicated.
On the other hand, Spain is one of the main routes for illegal immigrants entering Europe. Some immigrants choose to settle in this Iberian kingdom, among whom there are clearly extremists - at least Spain's security agencies have later seized many relevant individuals, but no one can guarantee the number of those who have slipped through the net.
There are concerns that the deteriorating security situation caused by the Middle East crisis may be exploited by these extremists. In fact, all countries that closely cooperate with the United States and have U.S. military bases on their territory now face security threats. These U.S. military bases are no longer a source of security but have become potential sources of trouble.
Additionally, the domestic political situation in Spain is also an important consideration. Spain will hold a new parliamentary election in 2027, and currently, Pedro Sánchez's approval rating is very low, with only about one-third of voters approving his performance. If a terrorist attack occurs, this event could become the last straw that breaks the camel's back.
In contrast, confronting the Trump administration can provide Sánchez with more political leverage. At present, Sánchez has actually lost little to lose, so he chose to take a risk in hopes of gaining political benefits, and this strategy has already shown some results: the left-wing forces in Spain highly approved of Madrid's decision to refuse to open the Rota and Morón military bases to the United States for strikes against Iran.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858924115108864/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.