Spain angry over Bush's remarks

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos has demanded an explanation from the White House for the US president’s remark that insurgents in Iraq were ”emboldened” by Spain’s decision to withdraw its troops.

Moratinos, speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, said Spain had contacted the White House.

“An explanation has been requested, and the reply of the White House was that it regretted this … that they did not want to hurt what they think are good relations between Spain and the US,” he said.

Spain was angered over remarks by George W. Bush during a joint news conference on Thursday

with Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.

He said enemies of the United States in Iraq “were emboldened when Spain withdrew from Iraq as a result of attacks on elections.”

The Spanish government at the time of the March 11 Madrid attack, which killed 191 people and has been blamed on Islamic militants linked to al Qaida, was ousted in elections as the opposition capitalised on fears that the attacks were retribution for Spain’s support of last year’s US-led invasion of Iraq.

After taking office, Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero immediately withdrew Spanish troops from the US-led force in Iraq.