Global briefs
SPAIN: The Spanish Government of President Aznar was a willing participant in the war on Iraq despite strong opposition from the people of Spain. On February 15, thousands of protestors gathered to demand an end to the US-led occupation of Iraq. The largest demonstration was in Madrid organisers estimate that 100,000 people took part. Some young marchers chanted, "Where are the weapons? They are in the US!" and "The Popular Party, a criminal party!" in reference to the party of Prime Minister Aznar. There were banners reading "We are with the Iraqi people, Invaders, out of Iraq". Smaller rallies were held in Barcelona and Valencia, where demonstrators added the Palestinian cause to their campaign. Spain still has 1300 soldiers in Iraq. General elections in Spain will take place on March 14. Aznar is not seeking re-election.* * * CHINA: China has started the first phase of its lunar probe program with funding of about US$170 million. Preparations are under way for a satellite to orbit the Moon by 2007. The satellite program is part of China's three-stage lunar project. The other stages are the landing of an unmanned vehicle on the Moon by 2010 and the collection of samples of lunar soil by 2020 by an unmanned vehicle. The last two stages of the program are still under review by scientists. The lunar program is also known as the Chang'e Program, referring to a goddess who reached the Moon in an ancient Chinese fairy tale.* * * PAKISTAN: The United States has stepped up pressure on Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf to clean up his military intelligence service and help capture Osama bin Laden, preferably before the US presidential elections in November. US intelligence officers believe that some in Pakistan's Interservices Intelligence (ISI) are withholding information on the whereabouts of bin Laden as well as assisting Taliban fighters who are attacking US forces in Afghanistan. Officially and publicly the US insists that Musharraf is a valuable ally in the war against terror. However US analysts say that US General Command head General John Abizaid is believed to have urged Musharraf to clean up the ISI during a meeting in mid-January. Bin Laden's capture is extremely important for President Bush as a success story to distract the media from continuing problems in Iraq and their failure to produce any weapons of mass destruction there.* * * IRAQ: Six of Iraq's secular political parties met to cement a new alliance which is aimed at preventing a religious government from coming to power in Iraq. The six parties, all but one of which are represented on the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, have joined forces to offer an alternative voice to that of the country's most powerful Shi'ite Muslim cleric. The umbrella group, whose name roughly translates as the Consortium of Democratic consists of the two main Kurdish factions, the Iraqi Communist Party, the Arab Socialist Movement and two other secular democratic parties.