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Spain
has emerged recently as a middling power, well integrated
in the European Union, and participating in international
institutions and treaties. She took pride in siding
with the majority of States within the United Nations
and its subsidiary bodies in issues related to upholding
international law. Surprisingly, however, the current
government under Jose Ma Aznar overturned this emerging
tradition and sided with the US in its aggression
against Iraq. Spain’s support for the US-Iraq
war was given in the face of widespread popular opposition
at home, and it also undermined the country’s
relationship with the more powerful and experienced
European Union countries. It can only be said that
the opportunistic posturing of its current government
has tarnished Spain’s image and harmed its relations
with its neighbors.
Aznar’s
enthusiastic cheerleading of Bush’s war carefully
neglected the history of Spain’s relationship
with the United States. Perhaps the disastrous 1898
Cuban war that sealed Spain’s ambitions of empire
may be “old history”, although the controversy
about the “sexed-up” intelligence dossier
on Iraq echoes that about the explosion on board the
USS Maine in Havana harbour. However, other chapters
are fresh in Spaniards’ minds and are more relevant
today. The US was one of the very few supporters of
the Fascist (in the true sense of the word) Franco
dictatorship. It can be argued that this relationship
was very damaging to Spain since it led to forty years
of isolation - which ended only after the dictator’s
death. It was clear that US interests were either
directly in conflict with Spain’s, or that the
US pursued policies that harmed the interests of the
majority of the Spanish population.
Aznar
also didn’t seem to care too much about international
law, and decided to cast Spain into the role of a
new vassal servile to American power. Perhaps Aznar
is heeding the old Spanish saying: “allá
van leyes do quieren reyes” (laws will go wherever
kings tell them to go). The allure of putting Spain
among those states given the American designation
of “New Europe” proved too much for Aznar
to resist - his place in history (albeit a footnote)
and a tiny place in the international stage.
The
shameful “war council” in the Azores was
the first time Aznar truly indicated his intended
new role for Spain. His personal role was grotesque
because he sought to outdo both Bush and Blair in
terms of bellicose statements and, on occasion, it
seemed that he sought to give lessons in international
relations and military intelligence.
Spain’s
top newspaper, El País, published on August
11th that Aznar distorted a United Nations Arms Inspectors’
report by stating that Iraq actually had weapons of
mass destruction. He added that Iraq “stores
3,000 tons of chemical devices, 300 tons of pure chemical
agents, 30,000 special missiles for chemical and biological
warfare, let alone several components for the construction
of nuclear arms, 1,000 tons of VX nerve gas, 6,500
chemical warheads, 8,800 l. of anthrax and 380 chemically
charged missiles”.
On
February 5, 2003, Powell gave a remarkably childish
presentation about Iraqi WMD. He perspired while showing
the slide presentation, and it seemed that he was
not as certain as Aznar about the exact quantities
of WMD Iraq supposedly had. It seems the Spanish secret
services are better at spotting anthrax spores hidden
5,000 km away than the US or British secret services
- not bad, considering Spain doesn’t have agents
on the ground in Iraq or satellites overhead.
It
is difficult for Spaniards other than Aznar to see
how the Spanish intelligence service could count 30,000
missiles that the UN inspections, satellites, and
other agencies have been trying to find for the past
decade or more. While Aznar showed so much certainty
about Iraq, the Minister of Defense, Trillo, was not
able to say if US bombers on their way to Iraq refueled
in Spanish air space. When asked by journalists about
overflights he simply said he did not know!
Just
like Franco before him, Aznar also believes in blind
loyalty. If our friend, the US, attacks Iraq, Spain
will stand by its side no matter what the United Nations,
the Geneva Conventions, the centuries-long Spanish-Arab
friendship, or even minimum commonsense advises. But
never mind commonsense or international law; Aznar
will go one step further. Just like Tony Blair, he
lied to the Spanish parliament -even though there
was no reason for him to do so. He then determined
that Spain will fight against “terror” no
matter when and where. That is, Spain has been firmly
stitched onto the US “war on terror”. Evidently,
Aznar was willing to play along with an illegal “preventive
war” and, as Chomsky reminded us, a preventive
war is a supreme crime.
No
wonder Aznar has been awarded the Congressional Gold
Medal: “The Congress finds that President Jose
Mª Aznar of Spain has clearly demonstrated (…)
that he is a staunch and steadfast ally of the United
States of America”. He must be very proud of
sharing this honor with Harry Truman, Winston Churchill,
Elie Wiesel, Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell, Ronald
Reagan and some other most distinguished “protectors”
of human rights and international justice.
However,
Aznar could hardly convince Spaniards that he has
done the right thing simply by showing off the medal
on national TV. The Americans knew that this was not
enough, and therefore sent House Speaker Dennis Hastert
and a delegation of Congressmen to meet with President
Aznar to discuss the continuing war on terrorism,
other security issues and efforts to increase trade
and commerce between the two nations. The result was
another attempt to portray Aznar as a statesman by
posing him for photographs next to the motley American
gang. However, the clear implication of this meeting
was that Spain would send more soldiers to Iraq and
buy more US second-hand military hardware, specially
used F-18s. Aznar got a medal for sending Spaniards
to reinforce the US occupation of Iraq, and the Congressional
visit just aimed to reinforce this role.
At
present Spain has sent around 1,300 soldiers to Iraq.
Their rules of engagement are A mix of the banal standard
statements and empty good intentions: Spanish soldiers
are in Iraq to contribute to its security and stability.
Fortunately, they will not be required to act in defiance
of international law, their right to self-defense
will be restricted to using minimum force, and they
shall respect local mores. The soldiers may scratch
their heads over becoming part of an illegal occupation
force and yet being compelled to respect the Iraqis
and their traditions. The implicit questions may become
more pressing when the Spanish soldiers come under
fire.
Maybe
Aznar will still pay for the folly of dragging Spain
into someone else’s war. He recently declared
that he will not be running for a third term in office.
He may need to seek some refuge from the popular resentment;
if things become uncomfortable for him in Spain, then
perhaps he will be offered a cushy job at the Carlyle
Group - joining other useful fools like the ex-prime
minister John Major. His bellicose policies may have
damaged his party, the Popular Party (PP), and it
is difficult to predict the outcome of the 2004 general
elections. If the recently-held local and regional
elections are any indication, Spanish voters - despite
the mass demonstrations against the war - have not
substantially withdrawn their support for the PP.
Broadly speaking, neither the Left nor the Right could
claim a clear victory.
Aznar
accused opposition leaders that they are hoping for
Spanish soldiers to return in body bags to win votes;
he is right to be worried. If Spaniards went to the
streets to say no to war for “ethical” reasons,
it can be expected they will cast ballots to say no
to the government that sent soldiers to die in Iraq
for more “practical” reasons. It is very
likely that the PP will then pay a price. In a few
months, we could see Aznar despised in Spain, and
abandoned by his party if it becomes more critical
of the consequences of his policies. Maybe Berlusconi
and Blair will remain his only “friends”,
but politicians out of power have a tendency to be
abandoned in quick order.
If
Aznar disappears or if popular discontent increases
against the PP, then Bush and his gang will hardly
care. Aznar played a useful role in undermining international
opposition to the war, Spain also has been dragged
into the US’s wars, and therefore now the useful
fool is expendable. Even if at this late stage Aznar
were to repent, his political obituary has already
been written.
Many
Spaniards are deeply uncomfortable with the role the
current government played in the American war of aggression
against Iraq. Spain has been subject to widespread
criticism, and now the country may become a potential
target for those seeking revenge and who cannot reach
the US mainland. In exchange for a lousy Gold medal,
Spain contributed to undermining the UN Charter and
the possibility of organizing a more assertive European
role opposed to the New Empire, never mind the soldiers
put in harm’s way. Although maybe unaware of
it, Spaniards will pay a heavy price for the folly
of their leadership.
Author:
Agustin Velloso is a lecturer at the Spanish National
University for Distance Learning. He can be reached
at avelloso@edu.uned.es.
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