Spain’s Zapatero Vows to Pull Iraq Troops

MADRID, Spain – Spain’s prime minister-elect, in brief meetings with visiting world leaders, stood firm Wednesday in his commitment to pull Spanish peacekeeping troops out of Iraq, a Spanish spokesman said.

But Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and British Prime Minister Tony Blair discussed the possibility of a new United Nations resolution to back greater involvement in Iraq, a spokesman for Blair said. Zapatero met with Blair and other leaders here for a state funeral for the 190 slain in Madrid’s March 11 terrorist bombings.

The United States has raised the prospect of a new U.N. resolution as a way to address Zapatero’s demands that the United Nations take control in Iraq as a condition for leaving the Spanish troops in place. One way could be a separate U.N. command to oversee international forces while the United States leads its own troops, a State Department official said last week.

Zapatero and Blair did not discuss details of a resolution, the Blair spokesman said on condition of anonymity.

A U.N. resolution was “touched upon as something that the Americans and British were looking towards,” he said.

Miguel Angel Moratinos, likely to be Spain’s next foreign minister, sat in on the meetings and later said Zapatero told Blair Spain’s 1,300 peacekeepers would be home by June 30 unless the United Nations takes control of the postwar occupation.

Jose Maria Aznar, ousted as leader by Zapatero in March 14 elections, has been one of America’s strongest allies in the war. But there was strong anti-war feeling in Spain, and Zapatero had campaigned on a pledge to pull the country’s troops out.

The daily El Pais reported Tuesday that Zapatero intends to increase the Spanish contingent in Afghanistan by 125 soldiers to offset criticism of his decision to withdraw from Iraq.

Moratinos said the main issues at both meetings were Iraq and the European Union – its expansion and the draft constitution blocked since December by Poland and by Spain under Aznar’s government.

A British official said Blair told Zapatero he recognized the Spanish leader’s “domestic imperative” and the mandate he had received from the Spanish people.

Zapatero said he hoped to go to London for talks after he takes office next month, the British spokesman said.

Zapatero also met with Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller, and afterward the Polish news agency quoted the Polish leader as saying: “On the EU constitution, we would like to speak with one voice or in a way very near to it.”

Agreement is still possible if Spain modifies its position, because “these modifications may also be our modifications,” Miller was quoted as saying. “We should continue to present a joint position.”

Secretary of State Colin Powell also met with his old ally, Aznar – now acting prime minister – and was to meet with Zapatero later.

An official traveling with Powell said the meetings were not intended to involve in-depth policy discussions since the main purpose of the visit was to show solidarity with Spain after the nation’s worst terrorist attack.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there would be plenty of time in the future to work on any differences with the new Spanish leader after he takes office within the month.

Zapatero will meet Thursday with Aznar – their first talks since the general election – to discuss Spain’s position at the European Union summit that day and Friday in Brussels.

Zapatero is inheriting a dispute in which Spain is holding out to retain a voting-rights formula that put it virtually on par with bigger European countries such as Britain, France and Germany as the bloc expands from 15 to 25 members May 1.