Bush plea: In his first public comments on the fall of the pro-American government in Spain in the wake of the Madrid bombings, President Bush yesterday appealed indirectly to other nations not to follow Madrid's example and withdraw troops from the US-led coalition, writes Conor O'Clery North America Editor in New York
The terrorists were trying "to get the world to cower", Mr Bush said, and it was essential "that the free world remains strong and resolute and determined". There is rising concern in Washington about the US ability to broaden or even to hold together its military coalition in Iraq, following the commitment by the new socialist government in Spain to pull out its 1,300-strong troop contingent by July 1st.
There is also growing fear in the United States that al-Qaeda might commit a terrorist act against an American city to try to influence the outcome of the November presidential election.
Speaking in the White House after a meeting with the Netherlands Prime Minister, Mr Jan Peter Balkenende, Mr Bush said the terrorists were "cold-blooded killers and they kill innocent people to try to shake our will (but) they'll never shake the will of the United States". The Netherlands has 1,300 soldiers in Iraq, the 6th largest contingent along with Spain. The opposition Dutch Labour Party yesterday called on the Dutch government not to renew the mandate after July 1st.
Mr Balkenende made clear that he did not discuss with Mr Bush the situation regarding Dutch troops after that date, when the US hands over sovereignty to Baghdad. "That is the responsibility of the Dutch government and the parliament," he said.
Asked by a Dutch journalist what he would say to people in the Netherlands who said in opinion polls they wanted out of Iraq, Mr Bush replied that he would ask them "to think about the Iraqi citizens who don't want people to withdraw because they want to be free".
He would remind Dutch citizens, he said, "that al-Qaeda has an interest in Iraq for a reason and that is they realise this is a front in the war on terror".
Meanwhile, the after-effects of the dramatic events in Spain continued to reverberate in the United States. Relations between Spain and the US are going through a difficult phase.
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that despite eight requests, the FBI had not been allowed to join the investigation into the Madrid train bombings. There are also signs of increasing public antagonism against Spain, especially among conservative commentators, over the perceived appeasement of al-Qaeda. New York Times columnist David Brooks said millions of Americans believed swing voters in Spain "were shamefully trying to seek a separate peace in the war on terror".
The US is also now less optimistic that the NATO summit in Istanbul in the summer will result in a greater NATO commitment to an international force to maintain security in Iraq.
US Secretary of Defence Mr Donald Rumsfeld acknowledged yesterday that the decision by Spain's new leader to pull out troops was a setback for the United States. "Obviously one would prefer that more countries would come in rather than a country leave," he told the BBC. "My guess is, you'll find other countries reacting just the opposite."
Against a background of UN Security Council fury at being pressurised by Spain into rushing through a resolution on Thursday condemning ETA for the bombings, the Spanish Government sent a letter to the UN saying that the view was honestly held at that time. One Security Council ambassador was quoted as expressing great anger at being used for political manoeuvring by Madrid, after Spain's Foreign Minister Ms Ana Palacio instructed Spainish diplomats around the world to stress the ETA connection.
US Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell suggested on Monday that a new UN resolution may be requested before July 1st to give the world body a greater role in Iraq.
Despite reports that many Iraqi leaders were doubtful, the country's most powerful Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani has sent a message to Secretary-General Kofi Annan saying he wanted the UN involved, a spokesman for Mr Annan said yesterday.