Spanish forces dug in on the disputed island of Leila/Perejil Thursday after ousting six Moroccan soldiers in a bloodless raid which provoked heated exchanges between the two countries but no gunfire.
Rabat compared Spain's pre-dawn swoop Wednesday by 28 members of a Spanish special forces team to a "declaration of war," but, despite intense rhetoric, Moroccan Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa left the door open to negotiations. Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio also heeded pleas by allies of both sides for a rapid end to hostilities and stated Spain planned to remove its troops from the uninhabited island.
Before nightfall, Spanish soldiers were seen working on stone walls and, supported by helicopters from one of the Spanish navy vessels nearby, set up a radio antenna and what appeared to be an anti-aircraft gun. According to Reuters, they ditched Moroccan flags which had flown over the islet since a dozen Moroccan soldiers landed there last week.
Palacio said Spain would only withdraw its forces if it had a clear guarantee from Morocco that it would respect the island's status as it had stood before last Thursday.
Palacio evaded a direct answer to a question on Spanish television about earlier comments by Benaissa, in which he said the two ministers were talking and had reached a preliminary deal to calm the situation before the Spanish operation started.
"I received a phone call from Palacio demanding an immediate withdrawal of the Moroccan security men...Such an operation needed time but Palacio, who was very nervous, rejected the deal," Benaissa told a news conference.
For its part, the Moroccan government strongly deplored the Spanish “aggression”, said Wednesday official spokesman of the Royal palace following an extraordinary session of the ministers council. The council of ministers which met under the chairmanship of King Mohammed VI, who was accompanied by Prince Moulay Rachid, said the deployment of warships, an aircraft carrier, sub-marines, and helicopters in front of Moroccan Mediterranean coasts was disproportionate given the nature and the size of the problem over the islet of Leila, MAP reported. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
