.....and insulting old allies...
Since October 0f 2001, in an effort to pay homage to those who died in the 9/11 attacks and solidarity with the U.S., Spain's goverment has invited American troops to join them in marching in their national holiday parade (the date on which Christopher Columbus' sighting land on his first westward journey)...but not any longer....
But since then a new Socialist goverment has come to power, reversing former PM Aznar's central-right goverments pro-US foreign policy and angering Washington by pulling its troops out of Iraq and attempting to split the coalition by calling on others to pull out as well...
According to Spanish Defense Minister Jose Bono, " Oct. 12 is not the national holiday of the United States, and no one is under any obligation to see the flag of another country in the parade...." "This is in no way an insult nor a sign of contempt towards the United States," he said adding "that Spain was no longer subordinated and kneeling before Washington."
Intresting....Okay US troops are not welcome in the "fiesta nacional" parade now....and French troops have been invited....as a replacement?
In an editorial by the Wall Street Journal, they had this to say..."....We've no doubt that the withdrawal of all armies from Iraq (as Spanish PM Zapatero had requested to the coalition countries a month ago in Tunis) would indeed be more favorable--for the jihadists who don't want a free Iraq. We really wish that the Spanish goverment would finally get up from it's knees!
What was that line bout seeing another countrys flag in the parade.....or that the Zapatero goverment become a growing global pain in the ass.....
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