Iraq Coalition Allies Face EU Election Backlash

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5207489

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European governments with troops in Iraq face an electoral backlash against their support for President Bush in European Parliament elections on June 10-13.

Opposition parties from Lisbon to Budapest are campaigning on a "troops out" platform, with some using posters of the abuse of Iraq prisoners by U.S. soldiers to dramatize their assault on European leaders depicted as Bush's accomplices.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy could be among the casualties.

By contrast Spain's governing Socialists are set to win a second victory in three months due to Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's swift move to bring home troops sent by his conservative predecessor Jose Maria Aznar, polls show.

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The main opposition Democrats of the Left have put the notorious picture of a hooded and wired Iraqi prisoner standing on a box on campaign posters, with the question: "Fighting the atrocities of Saddam Hussein with other atrocities?"

The center-left Olive Tree coalition is using the image of popular European Commission President Romano Prodi, although he is not a candidate, on its election placards with the slogan: "Iraq, a mistaken war."

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Is Tony Blair really stupid enough not to see this coming, or is he just hoping the UK anti-war movement won't be unified enough to do serious harm at home? After all, both major UK parties are pro-Iraq-war, so to vote anti-war Brits will have to vote for smaller parties and independent candidates.

There should be no one left standing by November, from the UK to Australia!