MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, sworn into office Sunday, will offer to replace Spanish troops in Iraq with non-military assistance when he visits Washington this week, newspaper El Pais reported.
Spain's Socialists ousted the pro-U.S. Popular Party in elections -- just days after bombers killed 191 people on commuter trains in Madrid last month -- and have stood by a campaign promise to withdraw Spain's 1,300 troops from Iraq if the United Nations does not take charge there by June 30.
Moratinos will tell Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday that Spain is committed to helping the reconstruction of Iraq and helping it on the way to stability and democracy, the paper said.
The former EU Middle East envoy will make concrete proposals about reconstruction aid, which could include humanitarian assistance, the paper reported.
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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&e=17&u=/nm/20040418/wl_nm/spain_politics_dc_1
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