Spain's ex-prime minister warns of threats during U.S. election
(05-15) 19:09 PDT ORANGE, Calif. (AP) --
Terrorists will try to affect the outcome of the U.S. presidential election as they did in Spain with the Madrid train attacks, the former Spanish prime minister warned Saturday.
Jose Maria Aznar, on his first U.S. visit since voters ousted his conservative party days after the March 11 train bombings, did not say where terrorists would likely strike, nor did he specify what outcome they would desire in the election, but he described the attempt as a certainty.
"It's important to realize that the terrorists will do all they can to disrupt the upcoming U.S. election," Aznar said on the second day of a visit to California. "They are going to do everything in their power to have the United States fail."
The former prime minister, who is scheduled to meet with President Bush in Washington on Tuesday, made the remarks during a visit to Chapman University to receive the school's Global Citizen Medal at a gala dinner.
Aznar was one of the Bush administration's staunchest allies during the invasion to oust Saddam Hussein, despite widespread opposition among the Spanish public.
Aznar's Popular Party lost general elections to the Socialists three days after the Madrid train bombings, which killed 191 people. Spanish authorities blame the attack on Islamic extremists, possibly linked to al-Qaida.
The new government promptly withdrew the 1,300 troops Spain had in Iraq, fulfilling a campaign promise.
"The results of the elections in Spain would have been different if not for what happened on March 11," Aznar said at Chapman, a small university about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
The former prime minister said his support of the Iraq war in the face of public opposition was difficult but necessary to defeat terrorism.
"I did what I had to do," he said.
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