This article can be found here.
September 11, 2009
In an attempt to affirm their allied status with the US, Spain contributed 220 more troops to the war in Afghanistan, totaling to 1,000 total. This was described as the Deputy Prime Minister, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega's, effort to create a good starting relationship with the new Obama administration. These extra men were cited to "provide more security for [the men] already there".
It seems that the Spanish governent is trying to reverse the earlier Socialist impression they gave off to the Bush administration, when they withdrew their troops -immediately after the conservative, pro-US Popular Party sent them- because it "endors[ed] what [they] considered an illegal invasion". But, the fact that the soldiers are being described as 'keeping the peace', rather than contributing to a war insinuates that the government's gesture is purely one of political interest, done with some measure of resentment.
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