- Title: SPAIN: Anti-war protesters set NATO flag on fire as ministers meet.
- Date: 9th February 2007
- Summary: WIDE OF FLAG BURNING (PROTESTERS DRESSED AS GUANTANAMO INMATES WEARING ORANGE JUMPSUITS AND BLACK MASKS AROUND FLAG)
- Embargoed: 24th February 2007 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Spain
- Country: Spain
- Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
- Reuters ID: LVACOP90W49U8HOBROJ5APCNC5B8
- Story Text: Protesters rallied around the historic centre of the Spanish south-western city and demanded the withdrawal of national forces from Afghanistan, meanwhile U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says the US has no plan to attack Iran, after Tehran said it would target U.S. interests if attacked over its disputed nuclear programme. Hundreds of anti-war demonstrators took to the streets of Seville on Thursday (February 09) in protest of the ongoing NATO informal meeting of defence ministers.
Protesters rallied around the historic centre of the Spanish south-western city and demanded the withdrawal of national forces from Afghanistan. "A different world is possible," protesters shouted as they set a NATO flag on fire, some of them dressed as Guantamano inmates to express their disagreement with NATO policies.
Meanwhile, speaking after a private meeting, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates reaffirmed that the United States had no plan to attack Iran after Tehran said it would target U.S. interests if attacked over its disputed nuclear programme.
"My impression is that they make threats like this from time to time. We have no intention of attacking Iran. The President said that, so did the Secretary of State, I said it before. Obviously when it comes to things like these tests we watch them closely, and other than that I think it is just another day in the Persian Gulf," he said, asked to comment on an Iranian statement that the Revolutionary Guards had test fired missiles that could sink warships in the Gulf,
The United States however raised pressure on NATO allies to rush more troops to Afghanistan to crush an expected Taliban offensive, saying the next few weeks was key in battling the insurgency.
But despite Washington's mounting impatience, European nations held back from making major commitments at the meeting of defence chiefs in the Spanish city of Seville, and Germany questioned whether more troops was the real priority.
New U.S. and British reinforcements mean the two allies will provide half a NATO Afghan force which has now swollen to some 35,000 troops, with their soldiers located predominantly in the Taliban's southern heartlands and by the Pakistan border.
"No commitments have been made, no additional commitments were made today. So I think it's important to focus actually on the positive things I was very clear in saying that nations should fulfil all the commitments they have made and I hope they will do so promptly so they can have some impact during the spring offensive and in the next few months," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.
U.S. General Bantz Craddock, who took over as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe in December, laid out plans that will require allies to deliver further 2,500 troops ranging from special forces to logistics personnel, one alliance source said.
Gordon O'Connor, Afghanistan Defence Minister thanked NATO for their support on the reconstruction work. "I'm most grateful to you for organizing this meeting to discuss practical ways to follow up the political commitments made at Riga Summit, to reinforce NATO support for our giant mission in Afghanistan. Also helping on the most difficult and challenging year experienced since 2001, represented here today," O'Connor said.
Yet European capitals argue their armies are already stretched by NATO, U.N. and European Union missions around the world and say that committing to send more troops to Afghanistan would threaten fragile public support for the mission in Europe.
The Defence Ministers Informal meeting is due to gather again on Friday (February 9) to concentrate in the Russian - NATO council. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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