Spain pulling out immediately

[eleny]

Wolf reporting now on CNN.

[LittleApple81]

1. Then it is the US, British, the mercenaries, 3 italians and 3 poles? n/t

[Selwynn]

27. Japan, Austrailia, New Zealand (! - yup) as well I think

[LittleApple81]

31. I bet the Japanese are not happy about this either. n/t

[Spazito]

2. I just heard that too...

good for Spain! On another note, why do they have Lieberman on as a "democratic" representative? He is a bush sycophant, imo!

[eleny]

6. I was disappointed that Joe is commenting

Perhaps as the day unfolds we'll see others commenting. Hopefully, Laura Flanders will discuss it on her Air America program.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[eleny]

14. Please delete your posting

Your sentiment has no place in DU.

[LittleApple81]

17. Agree. n/t

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

20. Thank you for posting that, eleny. I was disgusted by that previous

comment. Moderator, where are you?

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

15. As a Jew, that comment offends me.

[Selwynn]

21. {Edit - post I was responding to deleted}

That comment is basically pure racism, and offensive.

[eleny]

25. I've alerted the moderators and asked that your posting be deleted

I hope they do it immediately.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

28. Thank you, Eleny.

[Selwynn]

So did I.

[JanMichael]

29. While I have contempt for LIEberman the "Jew Shill" comment is out of line

WAAY out of line.

[LittleApple81]

33. I don't think you should repeat it in your heading. n/t

[markomalley]

3. They are the smart ones

They finally realize that they need to bow out of the jihad before they are destroyed. Osama gave a very generous offer to all the European countries. I hope they take advantage of it before it is too late.

I'm just sorry that Spain had to be made an example of. The Spanish people are basically very peaceful folks. There are far better places that he could have selected.

[KissMyAsscroft]

40. Hey mark...clue phone...its for you..

Spain pulled it's troops out because 90% of the people opposed the war. The attack had some impact but did not change the fact that the Spanish public was against the war.

It's called DEMOCRACY.

[aquart]

41. "Osama made a generous offer..."

Who the bloody flaming hell is Osama to make "generous" offers? You're applauding him for saying I won't blow you to bits if you do exactly what I want?

Ever hear of a guy named Chamberlain?

[meow mix]

43. anyone who jumped in - is NOT smart

but leaving is saying..
"ok maybe were kinda stupid, but we are not insane!!! cya sickheads!"

[myccrider]

46. Osama is a mass-murdering, opportunistic, fanatic pos

"Osama gave a very generous offer to all the European countries. I hope they take advantage of it before it is too late." :wtf:

*I* hope you were being sarcastic with the above remark. :puke:

OBL and al Queda should not be negotiated with or given any political leverage. Just because Bush and his administration have f#cked up, and not only let them get away but strengthened those monsters, that doesn't mean the rest of us have to help them out.

I say OBL can take his offer and go straight to hell with it. :grr:

[kentuck]

4. Your headline should have read: Spain pulls out !

This isa big story, internationally.

[JanMichael]

5. Wow. I have to admit that I'm shocked by that.

I figured they would leave once we didn't hand over military operations to the UN in June but today?

[Karenina]

7. The shit is about to hit

the fan.

[eleny]

9. Was this one of his campaign promises?

I'm embarrassed to say I can't recall if it was or not.

[LittleApple81]

13. Yes. But the assumption was they were going to wait until the "handover"

[JanMichael]

18. He promised to get Spanish troops out by June if the USUK didn't...

...relinquish military control over to the UN.

[eleny]

35. Thank you LA and JM

I gotta tell ya, this situation is one pig that won't wear the lipstick. It's going to be tough for Rove to spin this one.

[Spazito]

22. Did you hear Lieberman say...

he hoped it was only a "temporary" response to a campaign promise? Wow, does that say alot about what that slimebag thinks of keeping one's promises, doesn't it!

[bemildred]

11. They do not have until June. nt

[twilight]

12. why are you shocked?

The new president of Spain that was just sworn in said he'd get the Spaniards out of Iraq ASAP and he is keeping true to his word.

Not a thing wrong with that. Gee, someone that actually keeps promises!

:dem: :kick:

[JanMichael]

23. I was under the impression that Zapetaro had given a June deadline.

Not during the campaign but after the election victory.

That's why I said what I said.

[w13rd0]

32. Zapetaro obviously...

...understands that Bush has no intention of keeping to the spirit of his hollow words. Why wait until tomorrow what can be done today? Good for the new PM of Spain.

[eleny]

38. Things move quickly in a homogeneous society

[alcuno]

44. I thought Zapatero had said he would withdraw them after 6/30

WITHOUT a new UN resolution. It's curious that he's now withdrawing them immediately.

[0007]

10. Good, finally someone gets the picture.

[Killarney]

16. Right wing will tell us to hate Spain now

rename all Spanish foods to freedom names, etc.

[ThomWV]

19. There go 86 troops we couldn't do without

I'm not trying to demean their service, but there are more "private security guards" in Iraq than there are spanish soldiers.

[LittleApple81]

24. But mercenaries are not part of the "Coalition of the Willing"

they are guns for hire...that we have to hire because there ain't a coalition.

[Spazito]

26. That means 86 more soldiers needed or 86 thousand dollars a day...

per mercenary, either way it is a real cost and a political disaster for bush, imo.

[soup]

36. It may not hurt military-wise to lose the 1300,

but, won't this be a huge political smack in the face to *bush?

Iraq coalition 'can do without Spain'

Posted Tue, 16 Mar 2004

The top US commander in Iraq said on Tuesday coalition forces will not be set back if Spain pulls its 1300 troops out of the strife-torn country.

"... If that is their decision, we can adopt readily to compensate for the loss of those forces," Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez told reporters in Tikrit.

"We will have to adapt our foot prints"

"The impact for me in the country is that we will have to adapt our foot prints.. in central-south," Sanchez said, referring to Iraq's five provinces garrisoned by the Polish-led multinational division which includes the Spanish forces.

"The greater impact strategically on the coalition has yet to be determined."
http://iafrica.com/news/worldnews/309899.htm

edit because I'm an idiot.

[eleny]

39. Correction - 1300 troops

...from what Wolf said.

[aquart]

42. Yeah, and our great grandchildren will still be paying for them.

Privatized military, the worst of a bad idea.

[annagull]

30. The shit must be ready to hit the fan in Najaf

Negotiations have stopped, the assasination of the Hamas leader, Krazy Kimmett wants to go in and get Al Sadyr dead or alive...I think Spain is getting out while the getting's good.

[Tinoire]

34. Good for Spain!

Now to all the imperialists thinking that we need to stay in Iraq and just get the UN involved... Think again...


NOBODY wants to sacrifice its youth to clean up OUR mess.

[Raenelle]

37. Smart--it's better to leave the Titanic before it actually sinks

than once it hits the bottom. Especially when the Captain doesn't read, doesn't think, doesn't care, and never questions himself because whatever he does has God's imprimatur on it.

[alcuno]

45. Were the Spaniards part of the original invasion or did they come in later

I thought they came in as peacekeepers.