Spain's incoming prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero made clear Wednesday his stance on withdrawing Spanish soldiers from Iraq remained unchanged despite a call from President Bush to back the United States.
"My position is the same. I have explained it throughout the election campaign," Rodriguez Zapatero told during a radio interview, cited by Reuters.
Earlier, President Bush called for foreign troops to stay in Iraq. "It's essential that we remain side by side with the Iraqi people as they begin the process of self-government," Bush said after talks with Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan indicated meanwhile that the United States was prepared to consider a new UN resolution on Iraq that could keep Spain in the US-led "coalition."
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
