Re: "Mr Aznar, send your own sons" [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]

["David Quarter" <davidquarter@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To:             	ANTINATO@xxxxxxxxxx
From:           	Francisco Javier Bernal <asterion@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject:        	Re: "Mr Aznar, send your own sons" [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
Date sent:      	Thu, 20 Feb 2003 08:12:32 -0000
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Just to give you an idea: Before 2001, when national service was still at place, Spain
was the country in the world with the highest ratio of Conscientious Objectors. So
much that approx. just a 40% of people called to service actually went for it. I mean
"before 2001", because by then, the whole system had collapsed and the national
service was abolished for a "professional army" (with more officers than privates, by
the way). At this moment, the number of people joining the army as professional
soldiers is so low that the government had to approve special regulations to allow
foreign nationals to apply.

Regards,
Javier


On 19 Feb 2003 at 12:48, Sandeep Vaidya wrote:

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Supporters desert Aznar as Spaniards reject conflict
Giles Tremlett in Madrid
Tuesday February 18, 2003
The Guardian

Spain's prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, was coming to terms yesterday with
the fact that his unswerving support for George Bush on Iraq had inflicted
heavy political damage that could cost his conservative People's party its
hold on power.

Ministers admitted that the government's position was "causing significant
electoral damage" and Mr Aznar's wife, Ana Botella, was quoted as saying his
party was going through "one of the worst moments in its history".

Between 2 million and 3 million people took to the streets of Spanish cities
to protest at the weekend in what was said to the biggest overall turnout in
the world. As many as one in 15 Spaniards marched.

More significantly for Mr Aznar, opinion polls have shown that, for the
first time since securing a clear victory in elections three years ago, the
Socialists have overtaken the People's party in voting intentions.

Mr Aznar also faced embarrassment yesterday when it was revealed that in
1997 he had offered to pay Baghdad in "aid" if it gave oil contracts to the
Spanish-owned Repsol company. The government was ready to make a "donation"
if Repsol was given a concession in the Nasiriya field, despite the fact
that the UN had just issued a series of resolutions condemning Iraq's
continued blocking of inspections, according to El Mundo newspaper, which
quoted official documents.

The amount of money involved was described as "a sum to be set later". But
Repsol never managed to close the deal.

More than any other political leader in Europe, with the exception of Tony
Blair, Mr Aznar is flying in the face of popular opinion. An El Pais
newspaper poll two weeks ago showed 69% of Spaniards were against even a
UN-backed war. Nearly two-thirds of the People's party's own voters opposed
war.

The Socialist opposition has called him to vote against war at Nato and the
UN security council.

Mr Aznar's personal conviction that Saddam Hussein still possesses chemical
or biological weapons appears to remain unshaken. This, government officials
said, was partly due to the private conversations he has had with Mr Bush
and top US officials, who see him as one of their most important diplomatic
allies.

He has also argued that for a government that has made domestic terrorism
its No 1 priority, the alleged relationship between President Saddam and
international terrorism cannot be ignored.

Few observers expect him to change his opinion. Far from backing down, Mr
Aznar explained his position in leaflets inserted into daily newspapers at
the weekend. Illustrated with pictures of the blazing twin towers, they said
only that the government considered a new UN resolution as "possible and
desirable", rather than a prerequisite to invasion.

The extent of Mr Aznar's commitment to a possible war against Iraq was
underlined yesterday with the publication of photographs showing the
construction of accommodation for 600 new military personnel at a US base in
southern Spain.

Protesters in Madrid taunted the prime minister on Saturday with chants of
"Mr Aznar, send your own sons". Yet, despite his stance as a leading
European hawk, Spain is unlikely to play a significant military role in a
war.


Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003

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