MANILA, Philippines – Facing strong criticism, Spain and the Philippines on Sunday defended their decisions to pull troops out of Iraq, insisting they had the right to do what was best for their countries.
Earlier, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the withdrawals “encouraged” Islamic militants who have stepped up kidnappings and demands that more nations leave Iraq.
His comments came after the al-Qaida-linked Tawhid Islamic Group threatened in a Web site Saturday to turn Australia into “pools of blood” unless it recalled its troops from Iraq.
The Philippines withdrew its troops this month, a few weeks earlier than scheduled, after militants kidnapped and threatened to behead Filipino truck driver Angelo dela Cruz. After the withdrawal, dela Cruz was freed and returned to a hero’s welcome last week.
Downer said that because the Philippines capitulated to the terrorists, more hostages have been taken in Iraq.
“Unfortunately these actions have encouraged terrorists to continue these threats, so now we are subjected, as the Italians are and the Poles and the Bulgarians, … to further threats,” Downer said. “It’s very important we send a strong message that we will not be threatened by terrorist groups.”
The Philippine’s national security adviser, Norberto Gonzalez, lashed out at Downer for linking the new threats to the troop withdrawal.
“It’s very narrow-minded,” Gonzalez said. Instead of looking for scapegoats, Australia and other countries in the coalition that invaded Iraq should re-examine why the insurgency there has intensified in recent months, Gonzalez said.
In Spain, Socialist party spokesman Trinidad Jimenez said Sunday the government would “never have accepted threats of a terrorist group” and described its withdrawal of troops earlier this year as fulfilling a campaign pledge based on long-standing opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
Associated Press
Australian troops guard their country’s embassy Sunday in Baghdad. Australia’s foreign minister blamed other countries for making the terror threat in Iraq worse.
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