After the Madrid bombings last year, the Spanish electorate voted out the Jose Aznar government and elected Jose Zapatero, who ran on a platform of withdrawal from Iraq. Zapatero took a lot of criticism, even from the troops he recalled from their posts, for flinching in the face of terror and holding up the nation to ridicule. Fortunately for Zapatero, some Spaniards have demonstrated that they have the convictions to fight terrorists where they find them:

Inmates on Friday beat up a suspected al-Qaida cell leader jailed on charges he helped plot the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, breaking his jaw, nose and a tooth and injuring one of his eyes, Spanish officials said.

Imad Yarkas, 42, a Syrian-born Spaniard, was set upon by other prisoners in the dining hall of a prison in the eastern city of Castellon, said officials at the Interior Ministry department that oversees Spain's prisons. Spanish government press officials did not give their names.

An investigation has been opened because Yarkas, who is being held in solitary confinement, normally takes his meals alone, after other inmates have left the mess hall.

One official said some inmates apparently finished breakfast later than usual, and Yarkas began eating before they had left. Some began yelling at him, and when officers started to remove Yarkas from the room for his own safety another group of inmates pounced and punched the alleged al-Qaida member, the official said.

Of course, while we hardly condone inmate violence, I find it rather difficult to generate any sympathy for Yarkas. In fact, the level of protection afforded Yarkas seems a bit disturbing to me. Not only do the Spaniards bug out of Iraq and offer appeasement, but they go out of their way to give the terrorists extra protection while in prison. The terrorists believe themselves to be superior to Westerners; let them espouse that to their fellow detainees, if the Spaniards want to treat them like crime suspects instead of enemy agents.

Another point this demonstrates is the folly of imprisoning Islamofascist terrorists in civilian facilities. Other inmates do not have to follow Army regulations in how they treat each other, after all. Had Yarkas found himself in San Quentin, his experience in Spain would have felt like a fraternity hazing, comparatively speaking. Trying to fit wartime enemies into civilian prison systems will result in building separate facilities, no matter what happens or who gets put in charge.

Maybe someone should ask Yarkas whether he wants to return to Castellon or spend his time at Gitmo. I'd bet the food is better at Camp Delta, too.

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Tracked on July 16, 2005 11:51 AM