Posted on 09/12/2004 4:32:36 PM PDT by Nepalis
TUNIS (Reuters) - Spain's prime minister said on Thursday other countries should follow Spain's example and pull out their troops from Iraq.
"I can only say that the decision to withdraw the troops was a very correct decision," Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told a news conference on a visit to Tunis.
"I view the situation today with profound concern. All respect to all the countries that are there, but if there were more decisions along the lines of the Spanish government's, more favourable prospects would be opened up," he said.
Zapatero won a surprise election victory in March, three days after 191 people were killed in attacks claimed by a group linked to Islamic militants al Qaeda. He announced the withdrawal of Spain's 1,300 troops a day after taking office.
Foreign critics, including the Australian government, have accused Spain of giving in to terrorism but Zapatero said he was just fulfiling a long-standing election pledge.
Ninety percent of Spaniards were opposed to the previous Popular Party government's support of the U.S.-led war.
Militants have taken dozens of foreigners hostage in Iraq, with some demanding governments pull out of the country. The Philippines withdrew its troops to save the life of a hostage while others such as Italy have refused to give in.
Norway, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic withdrew their small contingents around the same time as Spain.
The last few days have seen a surge in attacks and clashes in Iraq that have pushed the official Pentagon U.S. death toll for the war to above 1,000.
I have a suggestion for Spain.....
they can go Cheney themselves!
Why? So they don't look sooo bad all alone?
Memo to Spain:
G_ F_ck
Y__rs_lf
...would you like to buy a vowel?
I don't know which is scarier - terrorism, or socialism.
Zapatero is either an idiot or in league with the terrorists.
The politics of appeasement never works.
Hello Al-andlus
How is your captial Cordova?.
that is really an interesting thing coming froma guy who was elected only because the people of Spain allowed the terrorists to scare them away from the polls...
I also like how their market reacted to the elections go....it went down as fast as Kerry has been here in this past week!!!
spain: They ain't conquistadors no more :)
Particularly if your name is bin Laden or Sadr and you're looking to kill a few infidels.
Cowards love company. It gives them validation.
Giving into either is certain death.
The more his country gets bombed, the more he cries the proverbial "uncle!"
This is a major talking point of that George Sorea$$ funded 527 group known as 'Spaniards for Kerry'
The ultimate international "girlie man".
That's the problem, it's the Spanish Prime Minister. Spain is a divided nation, that only till recently and with a narrow margin, was very pro-America.
Spain has it's own red/blue state problem and hopefully one day correct that mistake.
>>Norway, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic withdrew their small contingents around the same time as Spain.
I wonder: Does the US give any foreign aid $ to these countries? If so, that should stop ASAP!
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