U.S. asks Spain to help mediate in Mideast

[kskiska]

MADRID, April 22 (Reuters) - The United States has asked Spain's new foreign minister to help mediate in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, Spain said on Thursday.

Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who spent seven years as the European Union's special envoy to the Middle East, received the request from Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice during a meeting on Wednesday in Washington, the spokesman said.

The request comes as U.S.-Spanish relations have come under strain due to Spain's decision to withdraw its 1,400 troops from Iraq as soon as possible.

"The role that the United States will ask of Spain has yet to be defined. But it appears there is a spirit of cooperation," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

more…
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L22410133.htm

[louis-t]

1. What? No Freedom Rice?

No Freedom Olives? No Patriotic Peanuts? It's amazing how this admin can go from utter arrogance to pitiful pleading in such a short time. This again falls under the heading "Can you IMAGINE if a Dem or Clinton did this?"

[MaineDem]

2. This makes a lot of sense

Wait, no it doesn't.

:shrug:

[lapfog_1]

4. If it weren't

for the fact that ANY talks, however futile, MIGHT save a
couple of lives in that region of the world... I would tell
the US to formally "stuff it". I would further tell the
administration that if their blunder-in-chief wants someone
to mediate the conflict, he should FIRST not open his idiot
mouth to royally piss off the all the Arabs in the middle
east.

On the plus side of * stupidity, even Prince Bandar is making
noises that the Saudis are unhappy, perhaps to the point of
reneging on the promised increase production this summer to help
the * re-selection.

[phoebe]

7. It makes perfect sense - the Saudis and Islamic states have

raised the stakes considerably and Bush doesn't know what the FUCK he is doing. Someone has FINALLY begun to see that we need help.

[cliss]

3. I love that last sentence, "it appears there is a spirit

of cooperation". What the Spaniards probably did was nod politely, and use good manners. In reality, they're not interested.

I must admit, after all the laughs I've had from these guys; they really are eternal optimists. I mean, who else would go back to the same source, after they've been kicked in the teeth. They've done this with the Hindus. They've asked them countless times to get in there and help clean up the mess in Iraq. And every time, they've politely said 'no'. They're not excited about sending their troops into an inferno.

I have this distinct feeling that the State Department is one big advertising agency. They exaggerate, spin, and tell outright lies.

[pippin]

5. I'd tell them to stuff it

They broke it they fix it. Trouble is as we all know they haven't a clue how. From the very start I said the neo-cons in the white house are a bunch of amateurs without a clue.

Asking for help from Spain now is pathetic.

[drfemoe]

6. Gimme Gimme Gimme

The only thing the whush wh knows.

What can YOU do for my bank account today?

from article:
Spain's Socialist party ousted a strongly pro-American party in March 14 elections which came three days after the Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people.

[IndianaGreen]

8. The US already endorsed Sharon's West Bank land grab

Why should Spain get involved in a problem that we played such a large role in creating and perpetuating?

[DivinBreuvage]

9. In the words of the late, great Freddie Prinz

(who was Hungarican, not Spanish): "Ees no my chob, mang!"

[daleo]

10. They are just trying to keep Spain on the hook in some vague way

Spain should just ignore this kind of non-specific guilt tripping. As if Spain can mediate in the middle east - it is up to the U.S. and Israel to move the process along, if they desire. Spain has no standing, and I would hope they would know better than to insert themselves into a situation where they can't have any real say or influence.