Inevitable really, especially since the population didn't want to be involved in the first place.
I notice that a lot of non-voting young people used thier vote to help oust the ruling Gov.
A UN approach would have helped the US here, but GWB drove a tank through the international community (UN) to get the Invasion through.
The international support(after 9/11) that backed up the Afghan operation has been seriously mishandled.
------------------------------------
Spain PM to withdraw Iraq troops
Spain has more than 1,300 troops in Iraq
Spain's Socialist Party prime minister-elect has confirmed his intention to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq.
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said: "The war in Iraq was a disaster, the occupation of Iraq is a disaster."
The Socialist Party won a shock poll victory after voters appeared to turn on the government over its handling of the Madrid bombings.
Spain, with more than 1,300 troops in Iraq, was supported the US-led war on Iraq despite much domestic opposition.
Mr Zapatero told Spanish radio that no decision would be taken until he was in power or without wide political consultation.
But the soldiers would be pulled out if there was no change in Iraq by the 30 June deadline for transfer of sovereignty.
Outsider
Socialists won 42% of the vote, while the centre-right Popular Party won 38% in Sunday's general election, held in the wake of the Madrid train bomb attacks that killed 200 people.
The BBC's Chris Morris, in Madrid, says the bombings did more than shock Spain to the core; they proved to be the decisive factor in the general election that ousted the government.
Mr Zapatero was - until Thursday's bombings - considered an outsider for Spain's top job.
Provisional Spanish election results
Socialists (PSOE): 42%
Popular Party (PP): 38%
Catalan Regional Party (CiU): 3%
Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC): 2.5%
United Left (IU): 5%
Turnout: 77%
Despite his party's victory, however, there is expected to be much political "horse-trading" because the Socialists did not win an absolute majority.
While Mr Zapatero said his first priority was to tackle terrorism "in all its forms", he is thought likely to do it in a very different way than the outgoing government.
A larger than expected 77% of the electorate turned out to vote in the wake of last Thursday's attacks.
Our correspondent says the late swing to the Socialists raises one disturbing thought - if al-Qaeda was responsible for Thursday's attacks, it appears to have had significant influence in changing the government of a leading Western democracy.
Investigations are continuing into who was behind the bombings.
Voters defiant after the horror of Thursday's bomb attacks
In pictures
A videotaped claim of responsibility by a man identifying himself as al-Qaeda's military spokesman in Europe forced the government to change its stance on the most likely suspects.
The tape - claiming revenge for Spain's "collaboration with the criminals Bush and his allies" - was found in a litter bin on Saturday following a tip-off to a TV station.
Three Moroccans and two Indians are being held in connection with the attacks.
Germany has called an urgent meeting of EU interior ministers to discuss the situation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3512144.stm
I notice that a lot of non-voting young people used thier vote to help oust the ruling Gov.
A UN approach would have helped the US here, but GWB drove a tank through the international community (UN) to get the Invasion through.
The international support(after 9/11) that backed up the Afghan operation has been seriously mishandled.
------------------------------------
Spain PM to withdraw Iraq troops
Spain has more than 1,300 troops in Iraq
Spain's Socialist Party prime minister-elect has confirmed his intention to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq.
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said: "The war in Iraq was a disaster, the occupation of Iraq is a disaster."
The Socialist Party won a shock poll victory after voters appeared to turn on the government over its handling of the Madrid bombings.
Spain, with more than 1,300 troops in Iraq, was supported the US-led war on Iraq despite much domestic opposition.
Mr Zapatero told Spanish radio that no decision would be taken until he was in power or without wide political consultation.
But the soldiers would be pulled out if there was no change in Iraq by the 30 June deadline for transfer of sovereignty.
Outsider
Socialists won 42% of the vote, while the centre-right Popular Party won 38% in Sunday's general election, held in the wake of the Madrid train bomb attacks that killed 200 people.
The BBC's Chris Morris, in Madrid, says the bombings did more than shock Spain to the core; they proved to be the decisive factor in the general election that ousted the government.
Mr Zapatero was - until Thursday's bombings - considered an outsider for Spain's top job.
Provisional Spanish election results
Socialists (PSOE): 42%
Popular Party (PP): 38%
Catalan Regional Party (CiU): 3%
Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC): 2.5%
United Left (IU): 5%
Turnout: 77%
Despite his party's victory, however, there is expected to be much political "horse-trading" because the Socialists did not win an absolute majority.
While Mr Zapatero said his first priority was to tackle terrorism "in all its forms", he is thought likely to do it in a very different way than the outgoing government.
A larger than expected 77% of the electorate turned out to vote in the wake of last Thursday's attacks.
Our correspondent says the late swing to the Socialists raises one disturbing thought - if al-Qaeda was responsible for Thursday's attacks, it appears to have had significant influence in changing the government of a leading Western democracy.
Investigations are continuing into who was behind the bombings.
Voters defiant after the horror of Thursday's bomb attacks
In pictures
A videotaped claim of responsibility by a man identifying himself as al-Qaeda's military spokesman in Europe forced the government to change its stance on the most likely suspects.
The tape - claiming revenge for Spain's "collaboration with the criminals Bush and his allies" - was found in a litter bin on Saturday following a tip-off to a TV station.
Three Moroccans and two Indians are being held in connection with the attacks.
Germany has called an urgent meeting of EU interior ministers to discuss the situation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3512144.stm
