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CNN Live At Daybreak
Spain Mourns Seven Intelligence Officers
Aired December 02, 2003 - 06:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The war in Iraq has Spain in mourning today. Funerals have begun for seven Spanish intelligence officers. Those officers were killed in an ambush south of Baghdad.
Live to Madrid now and Al Goodman.
Good morning -- Al.
AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
I'm standing outside the National Intelligence Center, Spain's spy agency, where the funeral has just gotten under way behind me in that closed, very secretive compound. We have been told that King Juan Carlos, who is the commander-in-chief, the head of state, has appeared at the compound, and the funeral is getting under way. He's accompanied by his wife, Queen Sofia, the crown Prince Felipe, also Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and the Spanish government now.
Prime Minister Aznar is as much the focus of this day as these seven slain intelligence agents, because later this day, Carol, he has scheduled a special debate on Iraq in parliament. That has caused a huge polemic, even from some of his traditional allies, saying it's a day of mourning. Why did he have to do it just a few hours after the funeral?
So, you can expect a very raucous debate over Iraq. Spain has 1,300 troops south of Baghdad. Aznar has been a staunch supporter of the Bush administration, while polls in Spain show the vast majority of Spaniards are opposed to Spain being in Iraq -- Carol.
COSTELLO: This debate in parliament, what is he hoping to accomplish?
GOODMAN: Carol, he's been under pressure constantly before, during and since the major hostilities ended in Iraq to go before parliament and make his case in parliament. His case basically, which he has made publicly to the news media, is that this is all about the fight against international terrorism. This is no time for Spain to be pulling the troops out despite the deaths of those seven intelligence agents.
Now, the opposition will be telling him this may not be and will not be in Spain's best interest to be over there and maybe Spain should be standing with France and Germany, which didn't get involved. That would be the leftist opposition. We can expect to hear that.
But the bottom line is probably were not going to see a change in the policy from the government. Aznar has a majority in parliament. And at this point, he is standing firm -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Al Goodman live in Madrid this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired December 2, 2003 - 06:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The war in Iraq has Spain in mourning today. Funerals have begun for seven Spanish intelligence officers. Those officers were killed in an ambush south of Baghdad.
Live to Madrid now and Al Goodman.
Good morning -- Al.
AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
I'm standing outside the National Intelligence Center, Spain's spy agency, where the funeral has just gotten under way behind me in that closed, very secretive compound. We have been told that King Juan Carlos, who is the commander-in-chief, the head of state, has appeared at the compound, and the funeral is getting under way. He's accompanied by his wife, Queen Sofia, the crown Prince Felipe, also Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and the Spanish government now.
Prime Minister Aznar is as much the focus of this day as these seven slain intelligence agents, because later this day, Carol, he has scheduled a special debate on Iraq in parliament. That has caused a huge polemic, even from some of his traditional allies, saying it's a day of mourning. Why did he have to do it just a few hours after the funeral?
So, you can expect a very raucous debate over Iraq. Spain has 1,300 troops south of Baghdad. Aznar has been a staunch supporter of the Bush administration, while polls in Spain show the vast majority of Spaniards are opposed to Spain being in Iraq -- Carol.
COSTELLO: This debate in parliament, what is he hoping to accomplish?
GOODMAN: Carol, he's been under pressure constantly before, during and since the major hostilities ended in Iraq to go before parliament and make his case in parliament. His case basically, which he has made publicly to the news media, is that this is all about the fight against international terrorism. This is no time for Spain to be pulling the troops out despite the deaths of those seven intelligence agents.
Now, the opposition will be telling him this may not be and will not be in Spain's best interest to be over there and maybe Spain should be standing with France and Germany, which didn't get involved. That would be the leftist opposition. We can expect to hear that.
But the bottom line is probably were not going to see a change in the policy from the government. Aznar has a majority in parliament. And at this point, he is standing firm -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Al Goodman live in Madrid this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
