Coalition of the unwilling
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain’s incoming prime minister, yesterday said he would honour his pre-election pledge and withdraw the country’s 1300 peacekeeping troops from Iraq if the UN fails to assume charge of the country by July.
Mr Zapatero slammed the US-led occupation of Iraq as a “fiasco.”
But President Bush said his country would not “cower” in the face of terrorism, suggesting any sign of disunity among the “coalition of the willing” signified a victory for the terrorists.
Last week’s multiple train bombings in Madrid killed over 200 people and left 1500 injured.
Mr Zapatero swept to power on Sunday on an anti-war ticket, ousting outgoing prime minister Jose Maria Aznar’s Popular Party from office.
He told Onda Cero radio: “I will listen to Mr Bush, but my position is very clear and very firm.
“The occupation is a fiasco.
“There have been almost more deaths since the end of the war than during last year’s US-led invasion.”
Terrorism had to be fought by the law, Mr Zapatero added. “That’s what I think Europe and the international community have to debate.”
He also pledged to hammer out of existence ETA, the Basque separatist group initially blamed for the Madrid massacre.
His commitment came as speculation grew that ETA could offer a ceasefire in return for talks.
Mr Zapatero said: “What I am thinking, planning and working towards is to finish off terrorism and ETA is not going to get a minute’s rest.”
El Pais newspaper said police believe the Madrid attacks were carried out by people in the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, a body financed by al Qaeda.
