Spain's New Government Orders Iraq Withdrawal
By William Branigin
Washington Post Staff hahahahahar
Sunday, April 18, 2004; 2:55 PM
Spain's new Socialist prime minister, moving swiftly to fulfill a campaign pledge, today ordered the withdrawal of Spanish troops from a U.S.-led coalition in Iraq as soon as possible. His predecessor denounced the action as a victory for terrorists who bombed trains in Madrid three days before last month's elections.
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose Socialist Party scored a surprising win in the March 14 elections, announced the pullout order in a televised speech hours after his new government was sworn in.
The new prime minister said he had directed his defense minister, Jose Bono, "to do what is necessary for the Spanish troops in Iraq to come home in the shortest time and in the greatest safety possible."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Apr18.html