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Sadr tells followers not to attack Spanish troops
BAGHDAD, Apr 19, 2004 (Xinhua via COMTEX) --
Firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has told his followers not to attack Spanish troops after Madrid announced it would pull its soldiers out of Iraq, his spokesman said Monday.
"We call (on them) to ensure the security of Spanish troops until they leave Iraq as long as these forces do not perpetrate aggressions against the Iraqi people," said Qais al-Khazaali in the Iraqi city of Najaf.
"We urge other countries which assign troops to the coalition in Iraq to follow the example of Spain and to withdraw their forces to save the lives of their soldiers," he added.
Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos told his Egyptian counterpart Ahmad Maher over phone on Sunday that Madrid will withdraw its some 1,300 troops from Iraq soon, the Egyptian official MENA news agency reported.
Moratinos told Maher in a phone call that "Spain was keen that Egypt would come second, following the US, to be informed about the Spanish intention," MENA said.
Copyright 2004 XINHUA NEWS AGENCY.
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