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Spain Would Allow U.S. Use of Bases for Iraq Attack
Spain said publicly for the first time on Thursday it would allow the United States to use Spanish bases to support a possible military strike on Iraq. "In the event a military intervention in Iraq becomes inevitable, the government will not shy away from its political convictions," Foreign Minister Ana Palacio told a parliamentary committee. "(The government) will also take all measures stemming from its responsibilities to friendly and allied countries. Of course, in this area, I include, as in the past, authorization for the use of Spanish bases," she said.Torrejon AB and Rota NB are important for refueling and logistics. Thank you, we won't forget. Spain's support for the United States came as Germany and France rejected U.S. criticism that they were isolated within Europe in their effort to avoid war in Iraq. Spain noticed that, and stepped right up. No love lost there. Spain's center-right government, which took up a seat this month as a rotating member of the U.N. Security Council, has backed the United States in the Iraq crisis although opinion polls point to strong opposition among ordinary Spaniards. Speaking to reporters later, Palacio refused to be drawn on whether Spain would support an attack on Iraq without a U.N. resolution authorizing force and whether Spain would allow use of its troops in any conflict. Remember, it was Spanish troops that stopped the NK shipment of Scuds. Bet we don't know half of that story. Posted by: Steve 2003-01-23 |
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