Foreign Policy in Spain 2 Months before Madrid Bombings

This article was originally written on February 2, 2010. It’s about the meeting between Spanish Chief of Defense, General Jose Julio Rodriguez, and the United States Ambassador. In this meeting they discussed the mission in Afghanistan, U.S access to Spanish military bases, and the changing economy. There is a strong level of support for Obama in the office, to the point where Rodriguez promised additional Spanish troops in Afghanistan even before hearing of Obama’s strategy announcement. The troops were already for deployment and be on the ground by mid March. A key aspect of the strategy in this war is selling it to the people. Spain has realized in order to increase approval for the war they need to change the perception that Afghanistan is “an American war” and Spain, as well as the other 44 countries involved, are invested in the outcome. Lastly, Spain did discuss a bit about their economic troubles and the fact that this would prevent them from making any long term investments into their military future before 2011.

http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2010/02/10MADRID188.html#