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Aznar puts new PM on spot on Iraq
Spain's outgoing leader Jose Maria Aznar has put his Socialist successor on the spot over a threat to pull the country's troops from Iraq by telling him he must decide on costly troop movements in April. Aznar's outgoing government says a rotation of Spain's troops is scheduled for April 21 and it would be a huge waste of money to go through with the rotation only to pull the troops out for good just 10 weeks later. The two political rivals met Thursday to go over details of the transition of power and Aznar aides said he told Zapatero a decision has to be made quickly on what to do with the troops. "I have to take a decision. I want to know your opinion how it should be done," a government source quoted Aznar as saying. He said Zapatero agreed to give Aznar an answer in writing.Zapatero is not expected to take office until late April so Aznar will make the formal order on the troops issue. If Zapatero says the troop rotation should go ahead and then pulls all the troops back a few weeks later, he could be accused of wasting money as rotations are very costly. Zapatero's pledge to withdraw the troops from Iraq has broad popular support inside Spain but has damaged relations with the United States and Britain after years of close alliance under Aznar. Secretary of State Colin Powell and British Prime Minister Tony Blair both raised their concerns in meetings with Zapatero in Madrid Wednesday but he stood firm. Zapatero has called the Iraq occupation a "fiasco" but Aznar and critics abroad say the decision to leave the military alliance in Iraq smacks of appeasement to Islamic militants.
Posted by: Steve White 2004-03-26 |
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| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=29106 |