USA may ask Spain to send its troops from Iraq to Afghanistan.
According to the latest update of El Mundo, the USA is going to ask Spain to send its troops due to return home, as a result of the Socialist Government's decision to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq, to another destination, such as Afghanistan.
Miguel Angel Moratinos arrives in Washington today, and will hold talks with Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. The Spanish Government is anxious to present its reasons for the withdrawal of troops to the US Government and people, especially since the withdrawal is being presented by its retractors as a sign that Spain is giving in to terrorism. (The Wall Street Journal went as far to compare Zapatero to Franco in its editorial yesterday, an article that was received by much indignation by a large sector of the Spanish media. Zapatero's grandfather was infact one of many democrats shot by Franco's troops for opposing the dictator and his family has a long tradition of actively supporting democracy in Spain). Yesterday in Dublin, the Spanish Foreign Minister said that he hoped to be able to dialogue with the US government, and that Spain continued to consider the USA as an ally.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Defence Minister, Jose Bono, said in an interview with Cadena Ser this morning, that during the past month and a half he held conversations with various ministers of defence of countries who have forces in Iraq to measure their possible support for handing military and political control of operations in Iraq over to the United Nations. According to Bono, two defence ministers told him their respective governments would not allow anybody except their own generals to order their troops. Comments like these led the new Spanish government to conclude that it was highly unlikely that the UN would be allowed to take control of the situation in Iraq, and so there was no point in prolonging the withdrawal of Spanish troops until June.
Miguel Angel Moratinos arrives in Washington today, and will hold talks with Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. The Spanish Government is anxious to present its reasons for the withdrawal of troops to the US Government and people, especially since the withdrawal is being presented by its retractors as a sign that Spain is giving in to terrorism. (The Wall Street Journal went as far to compare Zapatero to Franco in its editorial yesterday, an article that was received by much indignation by a large sector of the Spanish media. Zapatero's grandfather was infact one of many democrats shot by Franco's troops for opposing the dictator and his family has a long tradition of actively supporting democracy in Spain). Yesterday in Dublin, the Spanish Foreign Minister said that he hoped to be able to dialogue with the US government, and that Spain continued to consider the USA as an ally.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Defence Minister, Jose Bono, said in an interview with Cadena Ser this morning, that during the past month and a half he held conversations with various ministers of defence of countries who have forces in Iraq to measure their possible support for handing military and political control of operations in Iraq over to the United Nations. According to Bono, two defence ministers told him their respective governments would not allow anybody except their own generals to order their troops. Comments like these led the new Spanish government to conclude that it was highly unlikely that the UN would be allowed to take control of the situation in Iraq, and so there was no point in prolonging the withdrawal of Spanish troops until June.
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