As you probably know, six Spanish soldiers on the UN peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon were killed in a bomb attack on their convoy. Three more soldiers were wounded. It was a car bomb loaded with 50 kilos of explosives triggered at a distance. The Spanish convoy was not outfitted with "frequency inhibitors," which can prevent remote controls from functioning. Spain has about 1100 troops in Lebanon.

Defense minister Alonso declared that yes, it was a terrorist attack, but he doesn't think Hezbollah did it. Well, who else would have done it? Rajoy told Zap that he'd sent Spanish troops into combat areas and should stop bragging about being a pacifist.

Three of the soldiers were Colombians. About 7500 of the Spanish military's 85,000 troops are Latin Americans; the quota is a maximum of 9%. In 2006, the US military had about 69,000 foreign citizens serving, about 5%, with the largest contingents from Mexico and the Philippines. Less complaining from the international Left that the US is recruiting foreign "mercenaries," please.

La Vanguardia's Beirut correspondent Tomás Alcoverro, who I believe to be on somebody's payroll, calls for UN forces to get out of Lebanon, and especially for Spanish troops to get out, apparently because he thinks those who live there should be left to kill one another. He blames the whole thing on the Lebanese government and on American support for it, though he doesn't bother mentioning the actual killers.

Thanks to the members of Spain's armed forces for their sacrifice, and condolences to the families of the dead soldiers.