The Minister of Defense, who appeared yesterday for almost six hours in the Congress of Deputies, ended up regretting that she had “lost count” of the times she had to repeat that “Spain will not participate” in the international missions that aim to guarantee the navigability in the Red Sea in the face of Houthi attacks. He will not be involved in the mission led by the United States – after warning that neither Washington nor any other government “tells Spain where to participate” – nor will he be part of the one being prepared by the European Union – which he disdained, because he did not have details of “how it will be” after several delays for its creation. It won’t even do it by sending liaison officers, as was suggested weeks ago.
Yesterday the minister went to the Defense committee to give an account of the master lines that will guide her department during this legislature. Also to inform about military missions abroad.
In his first speech, he announced the commitment of the central government to invest 1.30% of GDP in defense this year, he pointed out the Spanish companies that are not complying with the deliveries of military equipment, encouraged the judge that investigates the death of two soldiers in Córdoba to reach the end “peti qui peti” and assured that the declassified Pegasus papers show that the CNI acted in accordance with the law. Instead, in his speech there was not a single mention of the Red Sea missions.
But the parliamentary spokesmen – both from the opposition and regular partners – were there to remind them, and they focused much of the debate on this issue.
The Popular Party, which has raised its profile on this issue, gave the issue a boost yesterday. Agustín Conde, who was Secretary of Defense under Mariano Rajoy, considered the refusal not very “reasonable” considering the impact that the attacks by pro-Iranian militias are having on international maritime trade. For the people, according to their spokesperson, the reason for the Spanish Government’s “no” lies in the need to have the authorization of the Executive to participate in the new mission. “They are not in condition”.
Indeed, Sumar already warned that Spain has not “lost anything” in a mission “born in the belly of the Pentagon” nor in the European one, since in the words of Txema Guijarro, it will be “difficult” to justify to eyes of the United Nations for not being able to claim “legitimate defense” because no EU citizen has been attacked by the Houthis.
Precisely also pro-Iranian militias are the ones who are brutally attacking the international base in Iraq, where several countries form a coalition to fight jihadist terrorism. One of which, Spain. There are currently around 180 Spanish soldiers, although their future is “uncertain”, as the Minister of Defense acknowledged yesterday. According to Robles, the Government of Iraq has informed them that “probably” the mission will come to an end due to the escalation of tension in the area.
The United States has reported that on January 20 the militia launched a barrage of rockets against Al-Assad’s base in western Iraq, where the bulk of the Spanish contingent is concentrated. Defense sources assured after the appearance of the minister, that the withdrawal is “almost certain”.
