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| Europe |
| Zapatero told Bush that U.S. war on terror ’isn’t hitting the mark’ |
| 2004-04-23 |
| Spain’s new prime minister told President Bush last month that the U.S. war on terrorism "isn’t hitting the mark," according to an interview published Friday. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero also said in the interview with the El Mundo newspaper that he decided to remove Spain’s troops early from Iraq after a top U.S. official stated American soldiers would only take orders from their own commanders, and not from the United Nations. According to Zapatero, the U.S. official, whom he did not identify, told Defense Minister Jose Bono, "Can you imagine 130,000 American soldiers being commanded by someone who is not an American general?" After that, Zapatero told El Mundo, "we reached a clear conclusion" to pull out Spain’s 1,300 troops by June 1, a month early. Zapatero said he told Bush by phone after winning the March 14 election that "his strategy of fighting international terrorism isn’t hitting the mark." In the interview, Zapatero also defended Spain’s foreign policy shift toward the European Union, especially France and Germany; and away from the U.S. focus that had been a priority of his predecessor, Jose Maria Aznar. "It seems pretty unusual" that Aznar would turn his back on the EU countries that have subsidized Spain’s economy in recent years with huge development subsidies, Zapatero said. Zapatero told El Mundo that the overriding lesson from the invasion of Iraq was that a war that arouses public opposition rather than support shouldn’t be undertaken, and terrorism is not best fought by conventional warfare. "What do the Shiites and Sunnis have to do with al-Qaeda? Absolutely nothing," he told El Mundo. "They’re religious communities in Iraq that don’t like the occupation." Zapatero stated publicly since the Socialists ousted the conservative Popular Party that Spain would withdraw its troops unless the United Nations took control of Iraq’s postwar occupation. He and top officials, including Bono, have said in recent days that the decision to pull out the troops – rather than leave them in southern Iraq at least through the June 30 commitment – was made once they concluded the United Nations could not take political and military control anytime soon. "It was evident there was no possibility the United Nations would take charge," Zapatero said. Bono met with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld earlier this month. Trying to patch up the foreign policy disagreement, Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos met Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday. Zapatero stressed the pullout did not indicate Spain was withdrawing from its international commitments, nor was it wavering about confronting terrorism. The country has 3,000 peacekeepers on duty in various countries including Afghanistan, he said, and is eager to help resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict. On other issues, Zapatero endorsed U.N. efforts led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III to resolve the Western Sahara dispute. In 1975, Spain abandoned the territory and Morocco annexed it. Some 200,000 Saharawi people fled into exile and live in refugee camps in Algeria. |
| Posted by:TS |
| #6 Zapetero must be reading the Spanish version of "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Spain isn't withdrawing from its international commitments, just its commitments to America. I wonder if he was on the UNSCAM Oil for Influence list. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-04-24 9:23:31 PM |
| #5 Good one, Zappy. Keep diggin' that hole. |
| Posted by: docob 2004-04-23 11:51:25 PM |
| #4 Bono met with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld earlier this month. Trying to patch up the foreign policy disagreement, Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos met Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday. Zapatero stressed the pullout did not indicate Spain was withdrawing from its international commitments, nor was it wavering about confronting terrorism. They are maintaining a policy of stealth commitment. shhhh... Don't let Usama know. I recommend that we turn Rota into stealth Naval Base faster than you can say Roosevelt Roads. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-04-23 11:02:08 PM |
| #3 I guess Zapatero must mean his own 'G' spot, whatever that is :oD Looks to me like jahadis are dying faster than Kerry can spin a poorly timed remark. |
| Posted by: badanov 2004-04-23 7:24:31 PM |
| #2 Bush isn't hitting the mark, but the ci-Qada sure hit the mark at the train station in Madrid. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4052 2004-04-23 7:16:33 PM |
| #1 Spain’s new prime minister told President Bush last month that the U.S. war on terrorism "isn’t hitting the mark," according to an interview published Friday. Heh, pulling your country's troops out right after a terrorist attack isn't a high water mark to be proud of, that's for sure. But it's all well and good; we know who we can count on, and Spain's Socialists don't make the grade. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-04-23 7:14:12 PM |