Free Republic

The US president has rebuked Spain's new prime minister for going ahead with his election promise to withdraw troops from the coalition in Iraq. George W Bush voiced regret at the "abrupt Spanish action" in a five-minute phone call to Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the White House said. He further warned against giving "false comfort to terrorists". The White House also announced that the John Negroponte, the US envoy to the UN, is to play a key role in Iraq. The president urged that the Spanish withdrawal take place in a co-ordinated manner that does not put at risk other...