Spain's recapture of islet a 'declaration of war': Morocco

RABAT: The eviction by Spanish forces of Moroccan troops from a tiny Mediterranean islet amounts to "a declaration of war" by Madrid, the leader of one of Morocco's coalition government parties said Wednesday. "I am stupified. One cannot solve problems with gunfire. This is a declaration of war and an error," said Majubi Aherdan, a former defence minister who head the National Popular Movement (MNP). "Spain has forgotten that Morocco is an independent country," he added, asserting that all ties with Spain should be severed.

Meanwhile, the European Union was set to rally behind Madrid on Wednesday after Spanish forces ousted Moroccan troops from a disputed islet, even though the European Commission had called for a diplomatic solution to the standoff. "There will be no cries of victory, but there is unlikely to be any criticism either," said a Commission official after Spain's pre-dawn swoop on the uninhabited Mediterranean island of Perejil.

The official, who asked not to be named, said the 15-nation bloc's executive arm would issue a statement on the ouster of the Moroccan troops. Morocco, whose troops had occupied Perejil since last Thursday, said it was using the island as an "observation post" to help clamp down on illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Spain said the operation to remove the Moroccans had been carried out without any injuries to either side. A senior EU diplomat said Spain had tried very hard in the last few days to remove the Moroccan troops through diplomatic means and, having failed, "probably only had one option".

"You will not find an EU country which today says that Spain did wrong because the first fault was on the Moroccan side," said the diplomat, requesting anonymity. "The procedure used to change the status quo last Thursday was not appropriate." The European Commission, anxious to keep good relations with a key Mediterranean partner, had said earlier this week that diplomats must be allowed to get on with resolving the problem.