News, April 2004

Socialists unilaterally withdraw troops from Iraq

18th April. In an astonishingly rapid move, just 24 hours after taking office, new president Zapatero has unilaterally decided to withdraw the Spanish peace-keeping force in Iraq.

The withdrawal was part of the socialist election manifesto and the party claims no submission to the terrorists in the withdrawal. Nevertheless, the sight of the breakup of the coalition in the immediate aftermath of the 3/11 bombings is not seen as helpful by many in the war against terrorism.

Promise kept, promise broken

Evidently, Zapatero wants to keep his pre-3/11 promises, but equally he promised that the new government would be one which would dialogue with all parties before taking decisions. Thus in keeping one promise, Zapatero has immediately broken perhaps the most important of all. That said, there has clearly been much negotiation in the background over the past weeks and both the coalition and the UN refused to acept the Zapatero condition for staying, namely UN leadership.