Zapatero’s socialist government pulled all Spanish troops out of Iraq, in a blatant act of appeasement that they prayed would earn them the undying gratitude of Islamists and prevent further attacks like the Madrid train bombings.

Well, it doesn’t work that way, and even the Los Angeles Times acknowledges it: Spain finding little comfort in terrorism trial. (Hat tip: stuiec.)

“It is undoubtedly true that Spain is much more of a target today than before,” Fernando Reinares, former terrorism advisor to the Interior Ministry and senior analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute, said in an interview. He cited the combination of the renewed Al Qaeda threats and what he called the “synergy” between Al Qaeda and the Maghreb groups.

Probably as a recruiting tool, Zawahiri has also begun speaking of the goal of ending Spain’s “occupation” of Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish enclaves inside Morocco. …

In addition to the Ceuta ring, Spanish authorities say, they have thwarted two major plots since March 2004: plans to bomb Madrid’s main court and to destroy two of Barcelona’s most emblematic buildings. The suspects in the Barcelona plot, 11 Pakistanis, went on trial here this week, halfway across town from the venue where the train-bombing suspects are being prosecuted.

UPDATE at 3/10/07 9:20:21 am:

And despite the increased jihad activity from the Maghreb, Zapatero has announced plans to build an undersea tunnel connecting Morocco and Spain. (Hat tip: Doss.)

MOROCCO and Spain vowed overnight to work together to bore a tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar to link Africa and Europe.

Moroccan experts say the long-mooted 39km rail tunnel would be among the world’s most sophisticated engineering works and rival the Channel Tunnel linking England and France.

“We will deploy the necessary effort to achieve this project or at least put it on the right track,” Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou said.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who completed a two-day official visit to Rabat overnight, shared Mr Jettou’s optimism and called the plan an “historic project”.

Mr Zapatero pledged to drum up European Union support for a project he said “would change Africa and Europe”.