McCain is criticized for position on Spain

Wouldn't commit to meeting leader

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

WASHINGTON - Senator John McCain caused a stir yesterday after he would not commit, if he becomes president, to meeting the prime minister of Spain, a key NATO ally fighting alongside the United States in Afghanistan but which pulled its troops out of Iraq in 2004.

McCain, in an interview this week with Radio Caracol in Miami, appeared to lump socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero with leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, and Bolivia who have deep rifts with the United States.

After discussing the Latin American countries, the interviewer asked whether McCain would meet with Zapatero, the first modern Spanish leader not to have visited the United States during his term of office and who has not spoken to President Bush since he ordered 1,300 Spanish troops out of Iraq soon after he was elected.

"I will meet with those leaders who are our friends and who want to work with us cooperatively," McCain replied.

The questioner tried to clarify, "Okay, but I'm talking about Europe - the president of Spain, would you meet with him?"

"I will meet with any leader who has the same principles and philosophy that we do: human rights, democracy, and liberty. And I will confront those that don't," McCain answered.

Some suggested McCain may have been confused about who the interviewer, who was speaking in heavily accented English, was talking about.

But his top foreign policy aide, Randy Scheunemann, confirmed to the Washington Post yesterday that McCain had indeed "refused to commit to a White House meeting with Zapatero." McCain's remarks were dissected and replayed yesterday in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries.

Asked for comment, the Spanish embassy in Washington yesterday cited a statement made by Zapatero. "I believe it is only logical that he has shown the necessary prudence, since there is an electoral process going on," the prime minister said. "The government I lead will work with the next US administration, whatever the outcome of the elections."

McCain's statement was a clear departure from earlier this year, when McCain said it was time for the two countries to move past their differences over Iraq. "I would like [Zapatero] to visit the United States. I would be very interested, not only in normalizing relations with Spain, but in achieving good and productive relations," McCain told the Spanish newspaper El Pais in April.

The apparent reversal drew rebukes from several quarters.

"This is insane," Max Bergmann, deputy director of the liberal National Security Network, said in a statement. "McCain won't meet with a NATO ally, that has nearly 1,000 troops in Afghanistan, that has lost more than 20 soldiers there, has been brutally attacked by Al Qaeda, is incredibly influential in Latin America, has the seventh largest economy in the world, is a DEMOCRACY, and is a large and influential country in the EU. Won't meet with them?"

Bryan Bender can be reached at bender@globe.com.