Spain PM to withdraw Iraq troops

BBC ^ | 3/15/04

[kattracks]

Spain's Socialist Party prime minister-elect has confirmed his intention to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said: "The war in Iraq was a disaster, the occupation of Iraq is a disaster."

The Socialist Party won a shock poll victory after voters appeared to turn on the government over its handling of the Madrid bombings.

Spain, with more than 1,300 troops in Iraq, supported the US-led war on Iraq despite much domestic opposition.

Mr Zapatero told Spanish radio that no decision would be taken until he was in power or without wide political consultation.

But the soldiers would be pulled out if there was no change in Iraq by the 30 June deadline for transfer of sovereignty.

Our world affairs correspondent, Paul Reynolds, says that the situation in Iraq may well have changed by 30 June, but whether that influences the new government remains to be seen.

By then the US and UK hope that the Security Council will have given UN approval to the handover plan.

In addition the interim Iraqi government will be asking foreign troops to stay as part of a UN-approved multinational force.

Outsider

Socialists won 42% of the vote, while the centre-right Popular Party won 38% in Sunday's general election, held in the wake of the Madrid train bomb attacks that killed 200 people.

The BBC's Chris Morris, in Madrid, says the bombings did more than shock Spain to the core; they proved to be the decisive factor in the general election that ousted the government.

Mr Zapatero was - until Thursday's bombings - considered an outsider for Spain's top job.

Despite his party's victory, however, there is expected to be much political horse-trading because the Socialists did not win an absolute majority.

While Mr Zapatero said his first priority was to tackle terrorism "in all its forms", he is thought likely to do it in a very different way than the outgoing government.

A larger than expected 77% of the electorate turned out to vote in the wake of last Thursday's attacks.

Our correspondent says the late swing to the Socialists raises one disturbing thought - if al-Qaeda was responsible for Thursday's attacks, it appears to have had significant influence in changing the government of a leading Western democracy.

Investigations are continuing into who was behind the bombings.

A videotaped claim of responsibility by a man identifying himself as al-Qaeda's military spokesman in Europe forced the government to change its stance on the most likely suspects.

The tape - claiming revenge for Spain's "collaboration with the criminals Bush and his allies" - was found in a litter bin on Saturday following a tip-off to a TV station.

'Suspect has al-Qaeda link'

Three Moroccans and two Indians are being held in connection with the attacks.

The three Moroccans being held have been named as Jamal Zougam, 30, Mohamed Bekkali, 31, and Mohamed Chaoui, 34.

The two Indians arrested were named as Vinay Kohly and Suresh Kumar.

Spain's El Pais newspaper reported that investigators had found links between Jamal Zougam and the Salafia Jihadia group held responsible for attacks in Casablanca last May in which more than 40 people died.

One of the targets of the Moroccan attacks was a Spanish cultural centre, where four Spaniards were among the dead.

Reports also linked Jamal Zougam to a Spanish cell of al-Qaeda which was headed by Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, also known as "Abu Dahdah".

Abu Dahdah has been indicted by the Spanish anti-terrorist prosecutor Baltasar Garzon on charges relating to the preparation of the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States.

El Pais said Jamal Zougam was cited at two points in Garzon's indictment, but was not charged.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

Last I looked it was a flaming liberal running against a RINO.

[staytrue]

The real problem is that success breeds imitation. In this case, the imitation is a late October attack on the US to influence our elections.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

If the French are frogs, what animal represents the Spanish?

[MeekOneGOP]

Pray for our troops.
God bless America.

Amen !

[wardaddy]

Que maricones!!! totalamente sin juevos..


They deserve to be re-conquista-ed by the Rags.

[CedarDave]

And the US press is not helping any. ABC just reported that some Irish are worried about the President attending the EU economic summit in Ireland in June. Of course just reporting it, gives credence to the story, even if it is just a few. However, some politically astute liberals could interpret it in a different manner: A president more in tune with the sensitivities of "Old Europe" would not have to worry about being welcomed by demonstrators or worse yet by bombs. That person would, of course, be a President Kerry.

[Vernon]

I'm afraid it has only started. Cowards deserve nothing more than servitude! For a taste of what the radicals are talking about, go to the following thread and go to the referenced site - it is sad, sick, and pathetic.

Muslim site shows Capital in Flames

[evad]

LOL..
I think yer right.

Well, that fits 'em too.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Looks like zapatero and his followers could also have been behind the bombings in madrid. Like ELF here in the USA, socialists are not above committing acts of violence, if they see it gets them their way.

and they apparently do see that it does.

I am making the connection.
Socialists are murderors, if murderous acts can help them obtain and retain power. Reichstag.

socialists are in league with al quaieda.
And I think that might go for the Kerry and Deaniac types here in America as well.

[Selene]

Needs repeating:

Our enemies can claim a victory on 311.
The press has blood on its hands.
The Socialist Party is not concerned with freedom, justice, human rights, or truth.
Pray for our troops.
God bless America.

and deliver us from evil
amen

[Rockitz]

...Spain just encouraged al-Qaeda to go after every other member of the coalition..

Undoubtedly, but my concern was for this country. Certainly, if al-Qaida now believes they can influence elections, any nation now a member of the coalition with an upcoming election is a potential target.

[MeekOneGOP]

Observe the socialist Party closely in Spain - we have one just like it
here in this country. They are called Democrats.

[yonif]

Let them pull out their troops. The fact of the matter is the US is doomed to stay in Iraq unless it targets the ideology which is sending these terrorist murderers in the first place. Until that happens, it won't matter how many terrorists are killed or captured, as they will quickly be replaced by other American hating Islamists. These terror organizations are not fighting the occupation of Iraq. They are fighting the occupation of North America and Europe. Some would say this is what Al Queda wanted, that Spain would now leave Iraq. Al Queda could care less about the sovereignty of Iraq. Iraq is simply a place Americans and other non-Muslims can be killed easily. It doesn't matter where non-Muslims are, Al Queda and other terror organizations like it will follow them wherever they go. This is not about the occupation of Iraq, this is about the existence of non-Muslims.

[LibWhacker]

Well, that was his first installment of tribute paid to al Qaeda. I want to see Zapatero's face when he realizes that Spain must pay an endless series of tributes to islam. I hope by then the U.S. will have permanently turned its back on him and Spain.

[firebrand]

Only read the first 50 posts so far, so maybe someone has said this, but Spain did not handle this right. By accusing the ETA when they knew it was al Qaeda, they as much as told the Spanish people that they were afraid their administration would be voted out if it was known to be al Qaeda. They gave the people the idea, basically.

Just think how President Bush would have handled this. With that kind of leadership, the administration in Spain might have survived.

[Selene]

Prediction:

The next tribute will be the release of the known AQ operatives now in Spanish prisons.

[nhbob1]

Translation...."Who did you say we should make the check out to Mr Bin Laden?"

[oceanview]

won't work for Kerry in my opinion. if there were a majority in the US who felt that appeasement was the best anti-terror method, Bush would have approvals ratings in the 30s on this issue right now, given that all he has done since 9/11 is to bring the fight to them. i know alot of freepers think otherwise however.

[dvwjr]

Originally posted by sully777:

"IMO, your position is what the commies and Nazis always said after the war. And IMO, it was BS then and it is an unfortunate mistake on your part now."

Yep, the US and Britain fought in all of those places, and as I said, the US did win the Pacific war by itself (with minor help from the Dutch, Aussies and Brits). However your indignation does NOT change the FACTS that were listed in the three tables in my previous post about the Nazi/Soviet conflict on the Eastern Front. Most of the German casualties were suffered on the Easter Front, despite the surrender of German forces in North Africa, the decimation of the German 7th Army in the Falaise Gap, etc.

Now which of the tables I referenced are WRONG? Then, how are they an "unfortunate mistake" on my part? As bad as the "commies" were, they helped hold the line against the German Army from June to December 1941, just as Great Britain alone did from May 1940 June of 1941. Then in December 1941 with the entrance of the US, the "Allies" took on Germany (and the US took on Japan) until victory. Churchill once said that he would put in a good word for the Devil himself if he helped Britain against Nazi Germany...

dvwjr