Re: [Marxism] The Militant criticizes Spanish imperialism, too

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Walter Lippmann wrote:
> THE MILITANT not only criticizes March 20, they're on the
> warpath against Spanish imperialism, too. Give a looksee:
>
> The call by the new social-democratic prime minister of
> Spain to put the thousands of foreign troops in Iraq under
> United Nations control instead of direct U.S.
> administration would change nothing about the character of
> the occupation. The Iraqi people already have abundant

I suggest a wait-and-see attitude toward the PSOE government, which some 
analysts view as possibly sticking with the occupation if certain 
conditions are met. Let's not forget that France and Germany have both 
been mending fences with the USA since the war began, in the former case 
sending troops alongside the USA to occupy Haiti.

Yugoslavia war intensifies political tensions in Spain
By Vicky Short
1 May 1999

The right-wing Spanish government has enthusiastically joined in the 
present NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

Spain has so far sent six F18 fighter-bombers to Yugoslavia, and made 
available one KC-130 Hercules for in-flight refuelling, manned by a 
total of 180 military personnel. Another C-212 plane is on standby at 
the Vicenza base in Italy. Two more F18s and a Hercules are stationed at 
Torrejón and Zaragoza bases and have been placed at the disposal of the 
Alliance. Spain also contributes the frigate Victoria and the tanker 
Marqués de la Ensenada to NATO's Mediterranean fleet and the frigate 
Estremadura to the European fleet. The first military action of the 
Spanish F18s was to bomb fuel depots in the airport of Podgorica 
(Montenegro) and military shelters near Belgrade.

There are already 1,100 Spanish soldiers in Bosnia-Herzegovina and a 
further 400 military personnel have been dispatched to Albania, 
accompanied by an amphibious warship. Military conscription still 
operates in Spain.

The Spanish government of José María Aznar has authorised the deployment 
by the US of up to 40 KC-135 planes from the base at Morón de la 
Frontera (Seville). The authorisation extends to over-flying, landing 
and resting of crews in Torrejón (near Madrid) and Rota (Cadiz).

Last month, the majority of the Spanish parliamentary groups gave their 
full backing to the government and the Secretary General of NATO, Javier 
Solana, for the decision to bomb Yugoslavia. This was ratified in 
parliament on April 15 by a full vote in Congress. The parties voting in 
support of the war were: Aznar's Popular Party (PP), Socialist Party 
(PSOE), Convergencia I Unió (CiU--Catalan regionalists), Coalición 
Canaria (Canary Island regionalists) and Nueva Izquierda (a split from 
the PSOE), as well as some smaller parties. The only exceptions were 
Izquierda Unida (IU--United Left) and Bloque Nacionalista Galego, who 
voted against. But both have a very small number of deputies.

Spain's government is led by the right-wing Popular Party in alliance 
with the Basque and Catalan nationalists. It came to power in 1996 as a 
direct result of the pro-capitalist and anti-working class policies 
carried out by the PSOE (Socialist Workers Party of Spain) government, 
under the leadership of Felipe Gonzalez, during the previous 14 years.

The bellicose stance of the present government is fully endorsed by the 
PSOE. But how could it be otherwise--two of its main leaders are 
directly involved in preparing and conducting the war, with their 
party's full support.

full: http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/may1999/spai-m01.shtml


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