22 April 2004 Edition

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Zapatero to pull Spanish troops from Iraq

On Sunday 18 April, the newly inaugurated Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, announced his decision to pull Spain's 1,400-plus troops from Iraq. Spain's Iraq contingent is based near Najaf, where an uprising led by muslim cleric al-Sadr began two weeks ago. It is part of a Polish-led multinational brigade based in southern Iraq.

In a televised address to the nation, Zapatero said he could not ignore what he called the will of the Spanish people. He campaigned in last month's general election on a pledge to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq unless the United Nations took over "political and military control" of the country by 30 June.

Meanwhile, top US administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer warned the country's police and armed forces would not be able to secure the country against insurgents by the time the US hands over power to an Iraqi Government on 30 June.

Zapatero's right-wing predecessor, Jose Maria Aznar, sent in troops in August 2003 in a move that led to huge popular protests across Spain, as the war was opposed by nearly 90% of the Spanish population.

The Socialists' surprise election victory came three days after the 11 March Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people - attacks blamed on al-Quaeda.

As violence in Iraq continues, Washington is prepared for the possibility that other countries in the coalition could follow Spain in pulling out troops.

"We know that there are others who are going to have to assess how they see the risk," US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice told ABC's This Week.

"We have 34 countries with forces on the ground. I think there are going to be some changes."

Spain's new Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, said he had spoken to US, British, Polish, German and Arab officials as well as UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi before the new government took the decision.

"I cannot hide that there was a certain degree of disappointment from (US) Secretary of State Colin Powell," Moratinos told Cadena Ser radio.

Moratinos, who heads to Washington this week for talks with Powell and Rice, said the decision was taken once it became clear that there was no prospect of a UN resolution that would meet Spain's conditions. "We consulted with senior UN officials... and with other allies. What they all said was that it was very difficult for the UN to take full political responsibility and military leadership in Iraq after the handover of power to the Iraqi Government on 30 June," Moratinos told Spain's El Pais newspaper.


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