Fair Weather Friend
Spain Tracking, Closing Airspace to U.S. Aircraft Participating in Iran War
Christian K. Caruzo
Spain has closed its airspace to flights involved in the United States’ Operation Epic Fury against Iran’s Islamic regime, the Spanish newspaper El País reported on Monday, with the NATO ally specifically tracking U.S. aircraft.
El País, citing unnamed military sources, reports the Spanish government has not only prohibited the use of the bases in Rota, Cádiz and Morón de la Frontera, Seville, by fighter jets or in-flight refueling aircraft participating in the attack, but it is also barring the use of its airspace by U.S. aircraft stationed in third countries such as the United Kingdom or France.
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“We have denied the United States the use of the Rota and Morón bases for this illegal war,” Sánchez reportedly told Congress. “All flight plans involving operations in Iran have been rejected. All of them, including those for refueling aircraft.”
Spain’s Economy Minister acknowledged the flight ban, but insisted trade relations with the US will remain as before the conflict with Iran began. I believe Trump will have other options. Stay tuned.
Category: Dick Stepping, NATO, Trump!
Pull our people out of these bases. Screw em. These countries that won’t help us, abandon them. Don’t come calling.
That is the funny thing about sovereign nations, they can do whatever they want.
They are free to make their own decisions. They are not free of the ramifications of those decisions.
Correct, like when they supported the US invasion of Iraq and were then hit with the deadliest terror attack in their modern history.
Oh look, a correlation/causation argument. I like open borders cause terror attacks.
I wasn’t speaking generally.
The Madrid Train Bombings WERE directly linked to Spain’s support of the Iraq War. The government’s poor response to the attacks, combined with the high casualty count (2500+) resulted in all of them being thrown out of office in the next election.
What I can’t figure is why you guys are cranky about this. Firstly it isn’t new;
And secondly the White House doesn’t care at all;
When you don’t play well with others, don’t let anyone know what you are doing and then decide to be “that guy” charging the hill alone, no complaining later that nobody is helping.
We’re not asking Spain for military help. We just want to use our military bases in the way military bases are intended to be used. In the way I’m sure they agreed to under a treaty. Bases that Spain benefits from. If they don’t want us to use them, there’s no reason for them to be there. We’ll take our toys and go home.
Sad too. I really liked Rota for all the wrong reasons.
Ah yes, Spain. When they had a chance to participate but instead punked out, thus showing the entire world they were unreliable free riders, and showing their enemies they couldn’t take a punch thus guaranteeing future terrorist attacks to isolate them, or influence their elections if again necessary.
All they are doing now is preemptively taking the cowardly way, again. Heaven forbid they act in behalf of the community of nations, but they will sure take advantage of any benefits of ending Iranian efforts. Neville Chamberlain approves.
Action/ramifications. If they find themselves isolated, marginalized or otherwise penalized, for their failure to support us, don’t complain.
Why would they care? Spain wasn’t in WWI or WWII. They didn’t join NATO till the 1980s and the Cold War ended not long after that.
The US has never helped Spain in any military conflict ever. We have fought a war which Spain lost and was made to give territories to the US and marked the beginning of US (and the end of Spanish) Colonialism.
Actually Spain was involved in WWII. The Spanish Blue Legion and a company of Spanish SS members fought for Germany against the USSR. I will admit the Spanish units were small.
Technically they were “Spanish Volunteers”.
They wore German uniforms, used German equipment and Spain did not consider them as part of their forces.
Spain did their best to maintain neutrality. They worked with Hitler until the Germans were gone from their border and then worked with the Allies. Probably the best thing they did for the Allies was not allow the German Army free passage through their country 1940-41 because they didn’t want to enter the war.
Sound familiar?
Gibraltar would have almost certainly have fallen.
They are free to do whatever they want, and in doing so , they choose to accept the consequences. I wonder what the economies around our bases will look like when we leave. What happens when they cry for NATO to help them and there’s no help forthcoming? Face it, without the US, NATO couldn’t defend themselves against a smart Boy Scout Troop.
They don’t have to. Russia hasn’t been able to take the Ukraine in four solid years of war that has inflicted catastrophic levels of casualties on itself. Russia wouldn’t dare attack these days, even if the US left NATO. The EU has four times the population and hold huge advantages in naval and air power as a group.
Iran isn’t going to attack another NATO ally territory because they know bad things will happen.
The only near peer threat to the EU is China and they are on the other side of the world. Even if they could power project all that way they would be sitting ducks the whole way.
“The EU has four times the population and hold huge advantages in naval and air power as a group.
Perhaps on paper.
They haven’t taken it because of the support that the US sends Ukraine. That support dwarfs any sent by other Euro nations. If the US dropped just sending additional artillery shells much less missile and anti missile support, Ukraine would fold like a wet napkin.
PUTAS!
With attitudes like this, it’s LOOOONG past time for the US to get out of NATO. And the UN as well. The John Birchers had it right.
Once again NATO is a defensive treaty. If another country wants to jump onto a tar baby that is on them. Given all the stuff that Europe has gotten into in Africa over the years and we have stayed out of, this works well both ways.
NATO is a USA funded sugar tit that Europe needs to be weaned from.
Where is “The Lady Of Spain” when we need you