Saturday, May 19, 2007

THAT'S A SURPRISE:
[Spain's] Prosecutors on Friday appealed a judge's decision to charge three U.S. soldiers with homicide in the death of a Spanish journalist in Iraq, a court official said.

Prosecutors at the National Court said the troops from the U.S. 3rd Infantry, based in Fort Stewart, Ga., committed no crime when their tank fired a shell at Baghdad's Palestine Hotel in 2003, killing Jose Couso, a cameraman for the Spanish television network Telecinco, and Taras Portsyuk, a Ukrainian cameraman for Reuters.

The prosecutors characterized the attack as an accident of war, said a court official who spoke on customary condition of anonymity.
More at Jurist.

So, let me see: the Spanish prosecutor, who ultimately follows Zapatero's anti-American, anti-war government that has been shouted "Couso was assassinated in could blood by Bush" from the rooftops, suddenly acting rational? (here's some background)

There must be a reason. Mmmm. Let me see. Oh, yes, Reuters reveals the key:
Relations between Washington and Madrid have been strained since Spain's Socialist government withdrew troops from Iraq after winning power in 2004. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due to visit Spain on June 1 -- the first senior member of President Bush's cabinet to travel there since 2004.
(My emphasis)

Aha. I knew there had to be something. Apparently it's not only ETA the ones they're selling out to...

Meanwhile CiaraZapatero is still waiting for Bush's call. Wonder what he'll do to get W to finally pick up the phone, Uh huh uh huh uh huh uh huhuh huh, pick up the phone...