Zapatero sticks by pledge on troops in Iraq

Spanish troops in Iraq will be withdrawn unless the United Nations takes over both political and military control of the situation there, Socialist leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said today, hours before he was expected to win approval as prime minister.

Zapatero, whose party won general elections but fell short of a majority in Parliament, had campaigned on a pledge to withdraw the Spanish troops in Iraq unless the United Nations took charge. He said the war and the occupation were illegal because they lacked a UN mandate.

In Parliamentary debate leading to his approval as prime minister, Zapatero vowed to live up to his promise.

“If the United Nations does not take over political control and the military command in that country, the Spanish troops will come back to be with us. And I have set a deadline of June 30,” Zapatero said.

June 30 is when the troops’ mandate expires. The date was set by the outgoing conservative government.

MPs in the 350-seat Congress of Deputies are expected to vote Zapatero in as prime minister later today. His party has 164 seats, 12 short of a majority, but is expected to make up the difference with support from leftist allies that hold 13 votes.

Spain is still traumatised by the March 11 commuter rail terror bombings, which killed 191 people, and threats of more attacks from an al-Qaida-linked group demanding that Spain withdraw its troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Troops are patrolling rail lines, nuclear power plants and other potential targets. Day after day, newspapers run stories about families shattered by the loss of loved ones in the terror attack.

The 1,300 Spanish troops in Iraq, stationed in Diwaniya and the Shiite holy city of Najaf, come under rifle and mortar fire almost every day from militiamen loyal to the fiery anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

A poll by the radio station Cadena Ser released showed 72% of Spaniards support Zapatero’s plans on Iraq.

And Spaniards are wasting no time in exerting pressure – a rally is planned for tonight outside Parliament to urge Zapatero to keep his word.

Domestically, Zapatero pledged greater spending on education, research and development, affordable housing for low- and middle-income families, a crackdown on violence against women – a scourge he called Spain’s “greatest national disgrace” – and recognition of homosexual marriage.