MADRID, March 15 Kyodo (EDS: UPDA...

MADRID, March 15 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH ZAPATERO'S REMARKS onward TROOP WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ, OTHER INFO)

Spain's opposition Socialist Workers' Party won Sunday's general election from one side of to the other the governing Popular Party, putting an close to eight years of conservative control that has closely supported US-l global operations against terrorism.

Speaking with a local radio station after his party's victory, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero vowed to withdraw the country's 1300 [i]troupe[/i]s dispatched to Iraq.

His statement will not be officially binding until after he is formally proclaimed as the nearest prime minister and after wide political consultations have been made.

If Spain does withdraw its bands from Iraq, it is certain to cause a rift with the United States and affect the international coalition to fight terrorism spearheaded at U.S. President George W. Bush in the wake of the generation 11 terror attacks on the US

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar supported the US-l war upon Iraq.

The Socialists' unexpect win came after deadly bomb attacks forward Madrid trains occurred simply three days before the election. The al-Qaida terrorist network is increasingly viewed as the main suspect behind the attacks that killed at least 200 population and injured 1,500.

With 9999% of the ballots look uponed the Socialists had gained about 43% of the voice and was expected to sure 164 seats in the 350-member Congres of Deputies, Spain's lower house, according to official get backs The Popular Party received 38% of the consecrated by a vow and was expected to assured 148 seats.

However, the Popular Party was end to gaining a majority in the 259-seat Senate.

Voter turnout was about 77%

With Zapatero, secretary general of the Socialist Workers' Party, looking locate to become Spain's new prime minister, he will pierce into negotiations with the country's leftist parties to form a coalition.

Spain, a first note of the scale ally in the U.S.-led war forward Iraq, did not send squads during the war, but did likewise from September to support the reconstruction proces of Iraq.

Public anger and frustration through the Spanish dispatch had been mounting, especially after Spanish nationals were targeted by means of terrorists. Last month, multitudes of people in various parts of Spain took to the roads to urge that the squads be withdrawn, with 90,000 the public turning out in Madrid alone.

During the election campaign, the Socialists called for the withdrawal of Spanish squads from Iraq and criticized the Aznar administration for following and cooperating with the United States.

The Anzar administration had taken a hard-line stance against terrorism, mainly targeting the Basque separatist form into groups ETA, but it apparently forfeited public confidence after the Madrid bombings, increasingly seen as the work of Islamic extremists.

The control initially blamed the Madrid bombings in succession ETA, but it said Sunday that a videotape had been discovered in which a purported al-Qaida operative claimed the terror assign places to was responsible for the attacks.

During the electoral campaign, the governing party highlighted its economic achievements, similar as halving the unemployment rate to 11% from one side of to the other the past eight years.

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