ความคิดเห็นที่ 6
Spain to pull troops out 'as soon as possible'
Minister says forces could return within 15 days
Giles Tremlett in Madrid and David Teather in New York Monday April 19, 2004; The Guardian
Spain announced last night it was expediting the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, jolting its coalition partners after another weekend of heavy losses and setbacks. Hours after his government was sworn in, the Spanish prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, ordered an abrupt recall of Spain's 1,300 troops, saying they would leave Iraq "in the shortest possible time". He said he was no longer prepared to wait until his previous deadline of June 30 because there was no sign of the UN taking control of the post-war occupation.
Miguel Moratinos, the foreign minister, was quoted by Egyptian media as saying the pullout would happen within 15 days. Defence staff have already drawn up plans, officials in the new government said last night.
The decision, though her alded after Mr Zapatero's election win last month, is a blow for the US-led coalition and for Tony Blair, who is trying to marshal support for greater UN involvement in Iraq.
"We obviously regret that the Spanish will be leaving," a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said last night.
In Washington the Bush administration sought to play down the decision, saying Spain would remain an ally in the war against terror.
The national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, hinted that others could follow Spain's lead, saying: "We have 34 countries with forces on the ground. I think there are going to be some changes."
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