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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (35500)	3/19/2004 1:43:47 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793731

He's baaack, untanned, semi-rested and still out of his mind. Dean: Bush responsible for deaths in Spain By NEDRA PICKLER Associated Press Writer - Union Leader WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean said Tuesday that President Bush's decision to send troops to Iraq appears to have contributed to the bombing deaths of 201 in Spain. A growing international investigation is focusing on Islamic militants possibly linked to al-Qaida as the culprits in the Madrid train bombings last Thursday. European intelligence agencies are trying to identify a purported al-Qaida operative who claimed in a videotape that the group carried out the bombings to punish Spain for backing of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The tape was discovered in a trash bin near Madrid's largest mosque on Saturday after a telephone tip to a Madrid TV station. Dean referred to the videotape when asked whether he was linking U.S. troops in Iraq to the deaths in Spain. "That was what they said in the tape," Dean said. "They made that connection, I'm simply repeating it." Dean's comment came as he was defending former rival John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, from a Bush campaign ad accusing Kerry of turning his back on U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq. Dean said it is the president who has not supported the troops. He said Bush sent soldiers to Iraq unequipped, misled the country on the reasons for war and made the United States less safe by focusing on a target that wasn't a threat. And, he said, "The president was the one who dragged our troops to Iraq, which apparently has been a factor in the death of 200 Spaniards over the weekend." Dean issued a statement later to The Associated Press that said, "Let me be clear, there is no justification for terrorism. Today I was simply repeating what those who have claimed responsibility for the bombings in Spain said was the reason they carried out that despicable act." Dean was speaking on a conference call arranged by Kerry's campaign. Campaign spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said, "We aren't in a position to say that Spain's support for the war in Iraq made them a target." "Governor Dean was simply repeating what's already been reported by news organizations about a group that claims responsibility for the enormous tragedy in Spain," she said. "It's clear that what happened in Spain is a painful reminder that the war on terror is far from over and the nation would be better off if this administration took the time to rebuild our alliances rather than engaging in political attacks."