The outbreak of the war in the Gulf region was "a grave message to all mankind," said Manuel Bonmati, executive secretary in charge of international relations in the Spanish general confederation of trade unions.

Spain, one of the staunchest US allies on the Iraq issue, played a "disgraceful political role" in this US-led war, which "undermined the relationship between Spain and Arab community as well as European countries," Bonmati said.

Standing beside the trade unions, the main opposition Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and the left-wing alliance also appealed to the parliament to hold an emergency session to discuss the Iraq issue.

Meanwhile, a large-scale anti-war demonstration, sponsored by the left-wing alliance, was scheduled on Thursday night in downtown Madrid.

However, facing the sweeping wave of anti-war sentiment at home, Spanish Defense Minister Federico Trillo told a local television Thursday that a Spanish fleet had departed from Rota navy base in a mission of providing medical aid to US and British forces in the Gulf region.

The group, consisting of 900 soldiers, a hospital ship, a frigate and a supply ship, would arrive at the Gulf in 15 days, the minister said.

When talking about the US-led military action on Iraq, which started at early Thursday morning, Trillo said it would not "drag too long, since there exists dispute among the Iraqi officers."

Although Spain threw its unreserved support behind the United States before the outbreak of war, it now limited its help to ships and non-combat personnel.

Up till now, no official comments on the war from the Spanish government were available.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2003)