Continuing US Chill Towards Spain

Naughty, naughty Spain. You aren't allowed to have a different foreign policy than the US.

Condoleezza Rice is the highest-level U.S. official to come to Spain since the withdrawal of troops from Iraq following its 2004 elections, which put a chill on relations between Washington and Madrid. Officials on both sides had viewed her visit as a potential opportunity for fence-mending, but Rice was quick to stir controversy over Cuba.

"I do have reservations about how much can be achieved within the context of discussions with a regime (Cuba) that is not committed to (democratic) principles," Rice said at a news conference with Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. Moratinos defended his country's policy towards Cuba. He urged Rice to move away from isolating it and adopt Spain's approach of dealing directly with the communist island and its ailing President Fidel Castro.

Rice also targeted Spain for not doing more in Afghanistan, where it has up to 690 troops at any one time. "I would like to see all of the allies do more, and Spain is included in that list," she told reporters travelling with her.

Rice's visit was set to be noticeably brief -- just six hours without the symbolic overnight stay reserved for close allies.