[Marxism] Zapatero - Carrying water for U.S. in Afghanistan

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

CRASH OF SPANISH HELICOPTER PUTS SPOTLIGHT
ON ROLE OF SPAIN, THE UN AND NATO IN AFGHANISTAN
Zapatero says troops are there “to assure life and liberty” *

When Zapatero took office he delivered on his promise to withdraw 
Spanish troops from Iraq. Both Bush and Kerry criticized him for this 
action, as well as by the right-wing media. However, it was understood 
the U.S. imperialist leaders that this would have to happen.

In almost the same breadth as the withdrawal, Zapatero doubled Spanish 
troops in Afghanistan to 250.
http://www.contumacy.org/bbs/index-archive.pl?noframes;read=28082
Although this article suggests that many at the time felt that this was 
just a genuflection towards the United States, the modest 250 troops 
was increased to 700, then this month to 900. This is a major 
commitment and strengthens the United States’ imperialist role not only 
in Afghanistan, but in Iraq as well. It relieves the U.S. commitment to 
Iraq by almost 1,000 troops that would otherwise be sent to 
Afghanistan.

The NATO force is 11,000. The greatest contributions outside the U.S.’s 
17,600 troops are from Germany and France. There are plans for a 
dramatic increase in the size of the NATO commitment. An August 4 
report says “NATO-led international troops will be ready to assume 
responsibility for security across all of Afghanistan by the end of 
next year, freeing up thousands of American forces, a top NATO general 
said Thursday.

“There has long been a plan to expand the 10,000-strong NATO force here 
into Afghanistan’s volatile south and east, but the timing for its 
completion has never been specific. Washington has long sought such a 
move, hoping to relieve many of its 17,600 front-line troops still 
here.” http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1007390

Brian Shannon
______________

* August 17, 2005
17 Killed in Crash of Spanish Military Copter in Afghanistan
By CARLOTTA GALL

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 16 - A Spanish military helicopter crashed in 
the desert in western Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing all 17 on board, 
in what military officials said appeared to be an accident. A second 
helicopter made a forced landing in the same area, injuring 5 of the 17 
Spanish soldiers on board, the NATO-led International Security and 
Assistance Force said in a statement.
. . .

The Spanish troops were part of the 11,000-soldier ISAF contingent, 
which is based in Kabul and is deployed across the northern and western 
parts of Afghanistan in a largely peacekeeping role.

Strengthened recently with an extra 2,000 troops, ISAF is concentrating 
on reinforcing security for parliamentary elections scheduled for Sept. 
18. It operates under a United Nations mandate and is separate from the 
American-led allied force that is fighting militants in southern and 
eastern Afghanistan. Early this month, Spain expanded its military 
presence in Afghanistan to nearly 900 troops, from about 700, situated 
in the country’s western region.

The crash was the deadliest incident inside Afghanistan for ISAF since 
it deployed in late 2001. In 2003, a plane carrying 62 Spanish 
peacekeepers back from Afghanistan crashed in Turkey, killing all those 
on board.
. . .

Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero interrupted his summer 
vacation in the Canary Islands to return to Madrid for a briefing from 
Mr. Bono. In a statement after their meeting, Mr. Zapatero said the 17 
victims had been taking part in a mission “designed to assure life and 
liberty to a people who have suffered decades of tyranny and violence.”

http://makeashorterlink.com/?U56C440AB

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