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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Honor of the Spanish army tarnished by the sudden withdrawal |
| 2004-04-21 |
| Article from Agencie "I feel satisfied with the five months I spent here. For me it was a great professional experience and I would do it again," said Captain Jose Miguel Garces, who is scheduled to leave Iraq in one week. Private Marco Antonio Laguna, who leaves in three days, said he was proud to have helped bring security to Iraqis as he showed a wound in his hand sustained in an attack on his patrol 12 days ago by militia loyal to wanted Shiite radical leader Moqtada Sadr. But privately some said the "honour of the Spanish army" might have been tarnished by the sudden withdrawal, especially in the light of recent attacks by Sadr’s Mehdi Army militia. . . . On the streets of Diwaniyah some Iraqis also felt that Spain was caving in to "terrorism both at home and in Iraq," and that the troop pullout would lead to lawlessness and would leave them at the mercy of mobs and militias. Some of the same sentiments were echoed on the streets of Najaf, where Sadr has been holed up for the past two weeks despite the presence of Spanish troops. . . . Some soldiers felt they were leaving with a lot of work still to be done in helping Iraqis rebuild their country. The Spanish contingent was involved in many community development projects in Diwaniyah funded by the government. The biggest project was a 1.5 million euro rebuilding and modernisation for the city’s maternity hospital. The project only started in November and doctors at the hospital felt Spain was pulling out too soon. The spokesman for the Spanish troops in Iraq, Lieutenant Guillermo Novelles, said the fate of such projects would be decided in Madrid. Aside from the military code of honour and their desire to finish the job, some Spanish troops said they were also sad to be leaving some of the Iraqi friends they had made in Diwaniyah. There’s plenty of good reason to criticize the |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #10 The Canadian forces felt the same way about being held out of participation. I think that this is the death of NATO. Puerto Rico could explain. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-04-22 3:10:53 AM |
| #9 Ah, that explains everything: El Cid's true descendants were out of the country, doing a REAL man's work in Iraq, while the cowards at home voted and made the decisions. Good job, Guys, and many thanks to you and Aznar. Hold your heads high, and be patient for the day when your countrymen will spit after mentioning Zapatero. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2004-04-21 8:48:09 PM |
| #8 If anything is tarnished, it's the Socialists and their supporters. Cowardly twats. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-04-21 6:46:28 PM |
| #7 Spanish Troops We and our families thank you. Semper Fi. |
| Posted by: Chris B. 2004-04-21 6:34:32 PM |
| #6 I salute these brave people, and thank them for their honorable service. "Imagine a war in which the soldiers go home and spit on the civilians." And if they did, the insult would be well deserved: Spain's politicians and a large percentage of its populace have failed these brave people. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-04-21 6:24:05 PM |
| #5 It's tough to serve a government you can't respect. Ask any American who served under Clinton or Carter. |
| Posted by: Random thoughts 2004-04-21 6:12:53 PM |
| #4 Imagine a war in which the soldiers go home and spit on the civilians. Well done, guys. Thanks. |
| Posted by: Cthulhu Akbar 2004-04-21 6:11:42 PM |
| #3 Sound like good troops. Perhaps they'll get another chance. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-04-21 5:57:55 PM |
| #2 Agreed, but I'm glad to see they're concerned about their honor. El Zappo ain't gonna be around forever. |
| Posted by: Matt 2004-04-21 5:57:37 PM |
| #1 Yup - these guys can leave with their chins up. They have nothing to be ashamed of, they don't control their government or the people's vote. |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2004-04-21 5:47:51 PM |