We let our allies down, say Spanish troops back from Iraq

Telegraph U.K. ^ | May 13, 2004 | MN_Mike

[MN_Mike]

In the old military city of Badajoz the sound of drums and trumpets that welcomed Spanish troops home from Iraq had given way yesterday to a discontented silence among men who feel they have let down their allies.

[MN_Mike]

The side of the story you are not likely to hear in our media

[MJY1288]

As I said from day one..... If the Spanish troops had their way, they would be there by our side fighting against the evil they know needs to be confronted

[AQGeiger]

It is not the Spanish troops that let down their allies; rather, it is the Spanish government that has let down civilization.

[Anti-Bubba182]

All praise to the Spanish soldiers. The actions of the Spanish government are no reflection on them.

[MJY1288]

BINGO

[sam_paine]

Of course they have to get the vietnam dig in at the end.

[zarf]

If someone could supply an e- contact to these soldiers so we could send thanks from the US.....that would be cool.

[tiamat]

Thank you


Glad someone from FR can see that.

I figure these fuys are mortified at what their government has done...

[tiamat]

SIGH....


"fuys" = "guys"


Too late. Too tired.

[livius]

I think we can post from this source. Here's the rest of the article, in any case:


We let our allies down, say Spanish troops back from Iraq
By Isambard Wilkinson in Badajoz
(Filed: 13/05/2004)


In the old military city of Badajoz the sound of drums and trumpets that welcomed Spanish troops home from Iraq had given way yesterday to a discontented silence among men who feel they have let down their allies.

Senior army officers are guarded in their response to the decision of the socialist prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, to withdraw soldiers from Iraq.

But as a small contingent of Spanish troops prepares to remove the last vestiges of the country's 1,300-strong presence, there are whisperings of discontent from those now returned.

The previous prime minister, José María Aznar, contrary to 90 per cent of Spanish public opinion, committed the force in support of US policy.

Yet soldiers now regret leaving Iraq so hastily following Mr Zapatero's election victory on March 11, three days after the terrorist train bombs in Madrid that killed 190 people and wounded 1,900. They also expressed disappointment over a lack of official recognition on their return and the public's seeming willingness to forget them and their mission.

Cpl José Francisco García Casteñeda, who previously completed three tours in Bosnia, said: "We left our coalition colleagues behind and abandoned the local people, who are living in wretched conditions."

Sitting at the same cafe table, Sgt Manuel García, 31, went further in his criticism of the withdrawal. "We felt used and let down by the politicians. Zapatero made the move purely for his own popularity," he said.

Two weeks ago a beaming Mr Zapatero went to the Botoa base, 15 miles outside Badajoz, for the ceremony to disband the Plus Ultra II brigade after its return.

Extremadura, the region around Badajoz, provided 80 per cent of the troops in the brigade, stationed mainly in Diwaniya and Najaf.

Mr Zapatero arrived after fulfilling his election pledge to withdraw troops if the military mission in Iraq was not put under United Nations command by June 30.

"It was just a photocall. He did not address us and the king did not come. No thanks were given. There was no encouragement for the job we did," said Sgt García. "It was a celebration for Mr Zapatero."

Some soldiers disagreed with Spanish involvement from the outset but felt that it was wrong to pull out.

Sgt Sergio Sanesteban Peña, 29, said: "There are two aspects to it. As westerners, we entered an Arab country not on a humanitarian mission as we were told but an imperial mission in a very hostile environment. The result is as we see it today. On the other hand, speaking from a military point of view, we should have finished our job to help the Iraqi people."

He echoed a commonly held opinion that the Spanish mission was undermined by the American decision last month to arrest Muqtada al-Sadr's number two, increasing violence in the Shia region where Spanish troops operated. On patrol in Diwaniya in February, Sgt Sanesteban was wounded in an arm and leg in a grenade attack. He will have more surgery next week.

But he feels that his sacrifice has been in vain. "We had the ceremony and now our work is forgotten. But for us it will not be easy to forget.

"I would not want to exaggerate but it is a little like the American troops returning from Vietnam. There were no thanks. You came back and you could feel the indifference."

-------[end of article]

It is, of course, biased and full of misinformation (the Iraqis were the ones who wanted Sadr arrested, for one thing), but it does reflect a lot of the feeling I have picked up from my reading of Spanish sources.

Personally, I think Spain is getting very close (within 5 years) to another civil war. This time, I hope we're on the right side. Hint: NO Communist "International Brigades."

[jmstein7]

BUMP!

[aft_lizard]

But it was a comparitive dig aimed at the left.

[aft_lizard]

right now spain is pretty stable, but Zapatero like many socialists before him will attempt to seize more power.

[Travis McGee]

Damn right.

[lawyer400meters]

Why do I feel that we are the only ones reading this. I know I won't hear about this anywhere tomorrow, except maybe Rush and Hannity.

[ntnychik]

Kinda thought that's how they'd feel.
God bless them. I was so proud they stood with us, and they can be proud of that much, too.

[livius]

Actually, both Catalunya and País Vasco are declaring themselves semi-independent, and Morocco obviously plans to take over Ceuta and Melilla, to say nothing of the Canary Islands. Zapatero is clearly planning to preside over the break-up of Spain (which for some reason seems to be long-standing a dream of the left).

[Pikamax]

bttt

[jocon307]

"Zapatero is clearly planning to preside over the break-up of Spain (which for some reason seems to be long-standing a dream of the left)."

Holy Smokes! But arent' they going to become part of "big europe"?

I'm glad my mother isn't alive to see some of the stuff that is going on today.

[Chu Gary]

Hmmmmmm, didn't we once have a socialist pig like this in charge of our country?

Someone who really hated the military? A pig who would use it for his own personal aggrandizement? Someone who used the military to deflect media and public opinion?

Hmmmm, now what was his name? I think he served after a very good president. And, oh yeah, his wife is a REAL pig with huge pig legs and a donkey's ass. I think he served right before our current great President but I do kind of dis-remember his name.