Photo: Casa Real
Eduardo González. Madrid
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García-Margallo, admitted on Tuesday that the Government will “consider” the possibility of involving Spain militarily against the Islamic State (IS) should the allied nations request it, but he warned that it was a “distant” option, and that a strategy of “preventative diplomacy” is preferable; one that avoids a repetition of the “bad experience” of the involvement in the 2003 war in Iraq.
“Jihadist terrorism is probably the gravest, most complex and global threat we face”, a phenomenon against which “Spain has not remained idle, or with their arms crossed”, declared the minister at an information breakfast organised by Europa Press.
In any case, he explained, at the moment “no nation, not even Spain, has received concrete coordinated requests” relative to the needs that should be covered and each country’s real possibilities for combating the Islamic State. As soon as the request is made, he continued, “it will be considered”, always within “Spanish law, which demands agreement from the Government and the Cortes and an agreement with the rest of the political forces”. However, he specified, “I doubt that, at the moment, that will be the request that will be made of us, it is not where I think we would be most useful”.
He defends “preventive diplomacy” to face jihadism, and recalls the “bad experience” in Iraq
According to Margallo, although the military solution is “absolutely necessary” at the moment, Spain is in favour of “preventive diplomacy operations” being carried out, to attack the problem of the Islamic State at its cultural, social and political roots.
In addition, the Foreign Minister recalled Spain’s “bad experience” with military involvement in Iraq in 2003, due to the fact that one part of society did not understand the “political and diplomatic support” which was given to the operation and another part of society did not understand the “sudden and rushed” withdrawal of troops, without consulting the allies.
