The extravagance of Aznar

Just hours after US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy agreed publically that the only possible outcome of the NATO operation in Libya was the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar harshly attacked Allied policy.

At a news conference in New York, Aznar launched a vitriolic attack on the United States and those countries ? among them Spain ? involved in the operation to provide support to Libyan rebels seeking Gaddafi's removal. Aznar described the Libyan leader as "an extravagant friend, but a friend." The former prime minister, who left office in 2004 after his Popular Party lost the general election, and supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003, was also critical of the West's support for the popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, which led to the downfall of presidents Hosni Mubarak and Ben Ali respectively, describing them, too, as friends.

Times have changed. Obama is not George W. Bush ? a good friend of the former prime minister ? and the operation underway in Libya cannot be compared to the US-led invasion of Iraq. The former is taking place under the auspices of a UN resolution to protect the lives of civilians, while the war to overthrow Saddam Hussein was simply military adventurism with no UN mandate.

Aznar's comments are clearly timed to coincide with the upcoming municipal and regional elections in Spain on May 22, as well as the decision of Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero not to stand for a third term in next year's general elections. Aznar added in his address that Spain faces significant difficulties in reducing its foreign debt, illustrated by the higher interest rates it must pay. His intervention will surely have been seen as inopportune and unwelcome by Popular Party leader and candidate for prime minister next year Mariano Rajoy. By taking such a stance, Aznar has aligned himself with the far right of the Republican Party, copying its inflammatory approach.

It is now evident that bombing raids against Libyan troops will not be enough to help the rebel forces there overthrow Gaddafi. The leaders of the West must now push for a new UN resolution that will permit more decisive action, although avoiding the participation of NATO ground troops directly in the fighting. Spain's involvement will be limited to maritime and air patrols. It has since emerged that Gaddafi's forces have used Spanish-made cluster bombs, prohibited by international law. The sale of the weapons took place before Spain signed an international agreement against the use of cluster bombs and destroyed any remaining supplies.

While Aznar was making his speech denouncing Spain's support for the UN-backed operation to protect civilians in Libya, Gaddafi's forces increased their attack on the rebel-held city of Misrata. Criticism of the West's handling of the crisis in Libya is more than justified, but not on the basis that the man responsible for the Lockerbie bombing is our friend, extravagant or otherwise.