By Nicola Smith - 15th March 2004
Spain's threat to withdraw its troops from Iraq has sent shockwaves across Europe and the Atlantic.
The victory of Socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in Sunday’s poll has thrown doubt on Spain’s commitment to take command of 9000 troops in central Iraq from July 1.
But Poland - a key ally in the war in Iraq - was first to indicate that it would not flinch in its commitment to maintaining a military presence there.
“Revising our positions on Iraq after terrorist attacks would be to admit that terrorists are stronger and that they are right [to pursue attacks],” said Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller, reported by Reuters.
Zapatero used his first news conference on Monday to slam the war and occupation of Iraq as a “disaster.”
While stressing his government would maintain “cordial relations” with Washington, he said US President George W Bush and UK leader Tony Blair needed to “engage in some self-criticism” over their decision to invade Iraq.
The defeat of Jose Maria Aznar’s centre right Popular Party has changed the political map over the Iraq war within the European Union.
Aznar’s backing of the war in Iraq and the government’s handling of information after the bombs which killed nearly 200 people in Madrid last week are widely believed to have contributed to his political downfall.
Al Qaeda has now become a principle suspect in the bombings which struck the Spanish capital last week, prompting fears that the strike was a response to Madrid's position on Iraq.
Having lost a key ally in Aznar, the UK will now depend much more on its new Eastern and more pro-American EU neighbours for support over Iraq.
The domestic and foreign policy implications for the UK and US, who led the Iraq invasion, still remain unclear.
According to the BBC, the immediate reaction of the UK government has been to stand firm and declare no change in policy.
Foreign Minister Jack Straw rejected any inference that any country which did not support the war on Iraq would be safer from Islamic terrorists.
“The idea that somehow there is some exemption certificate for this war against terrorism is utter nonsense,” he said.
US will be issuing a more formal response to the news within the next few hours, a Washington spokesman told EUpolitix.com.
And as the fall out from the Spanish elections spreads across Europe, some politicians have already signalled concern that the election result was a victory for terrorism.
Sunday’s elections would go down in history as “the day when Islamic fundamentalism was seen as dictating the outcome of a European election,” said Wilfred Martens, the Belgian leader of the centre right European People’s Party.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.