SPAIN: Spain's government told the truth about the Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people, the outgoing Prime Minister, Mr José Maria Aznar, said in an article published yesterday.
Defending his government's actions in France's Le Monde newspaper, Mr Aznar hit back at those who accused him of falsely blaming the armed Basque separatist group Eta for the attacks.
He also said it was too soon to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq. The incoming Socialist prime minister, Mr José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has pledged to pull troops out of Iraq unless the United Nations is given greater control.
"I will be frank and clear: my government told the truth," Mr Aznar wrote.
"As soon as roads of inquiry other than Eta appeared, the government informed the people. The government revealed all it could reasonably reveal without prejudicing the inquiry."
He said opponents manipulated the facts for political gain.
"We were on the eve of the elections, and for certain people the temptation to exploit the situation for political ends was too strong," he said.
The election three days after the March 11th bombings swept Mr Zapatero to power in a surprise victory over Mr Aznar's conservatives.
Mr Aznar's reputation and his hopes of leaving office with the accolades of a statesman were largely shattered by the attacks amid charges that his government had mishandled early investigations by firmly pinning blame on Eta.
The bombings, believed to be linked to al-Qaeda, rekindled anger over Mr Aznar's decision to support the US-led war in Iraq, which 80 per cent of Spanish voters opposed. Many felt his backing had made the country a target for militants.
"Eta or al-Qaeda. Naturally, the difference matters, but the response to what happened has to be unique: firmness, political unity and international co-operation," Mr Aznar said.
"This is not the moment to think about withdrawing troops," he added. "To give in now would set a dangerous precedent giving credit to the idea that those who attack us have dictated to us their conditions." - (Reuters)