Spanish will not be fooled twice after illegal war on Iraq

Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has once again pushed back against the US military machine. He has made it clear to Trump and his backers that Spain will not allow another US president to drag the country into an illegal war in West Asia on the back of bogus claims.

This refers back to the illegal war on Iraq, which began on the basis that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. However, this ‘justification’ for the mass murder of Iraqis was debunked and revealed for the manipulative misinformation it was.

Whilst many haven’t learned and continue to parrot lines from bad actors in power, Spain has, with Sánchez telling Trump:

Twenty-three years ago, the U.S. dragged us into Iraq over claims of weapons of mass destruction. None were found. You cannot fool us twice.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to Donald Trump:

"Twenty-three years ago, the U.S. dragged us into Iraq over claims of weapons of mass destruction. None were found. You cannot fool us twice." pic.twitter.com/tLk6SRIgCq

— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinkle) July 11, 2026

When will other Western leaders learn?

Spain, it appears, has learned from the mistakes of the past. It has consistently opposed both the genocide on Gaza and the current illegal war on Iran.

However, our own leaders are still far too slow – or reluctant – to take any decisive action to stop the world careening into another world war. Equally, they seem unperturbed – meaningless rhetoric aside – by the mass slaughter of Arab men, women and children. Theyhave afforded Israel absolute impunity.

Starmer and co. have said they oppose the war on Iran waged by the petty, childish and egotistical US President, but their words have not been followed by actions. The defence budget has still increased following Trump’s orders, and they still allow the US to use its bases for ‘defensive’ purposes.

Instead of defending international law and calling for true diplomacy, the British government are budgeting huge sums to go directly into the hands of Western arms companies (war lords), who only care about their profits. And there is a hell of a lot of profit to make in war for those who supply the means to obliterate other people.

Sánchez, by contrast, recently spoke about Spain being a “peaceful and pacifist country”, vowing to “put an end to all wars”:

A pesar de la distancia geográfica, España está siempre con sus aliados.

Somos un país pacífico y pacifista. Y un aliado fiable.

El objetivo último de todas nuestras acciones debe ser acabar con todas las guerras. pic.twitter.com/NBTkIuoEOq

— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 8, 2026

War mongers want to have their cake and eat it too

The Canary‘s Joe Glenton has written extensively about the military machine and the illegal war on Iraq. Glenton is a former soldier who refused to return to duty in Afghanistan as he rightfully believed the aggression was illegal under international law.

Recognising how these wars only benefit the billionaire-owned arms and fossil fuel companies, Glenton has played a big role in trying to get the British people to open their eyes to the manipulation pushed by Western leaders to justify more endless wars in West Asia.

Glenton wrote of the disingenuous Royal British Legion (RBL) and its incestuous relationship with global arms firms back in February:

Since the ousting of the pre-2003 government, Iraq has become a lucrative cash cow for certain players, including global arms firms – what I prefer to call Big Death. Welcome to the military charity-industrial complex.

What makes the Iraq event and comments from the Royal British Legion striking is that both the legion and the National Arboretum proudly state their connections to the global killing business.

BAE Systems is a major partner of the RBL – to the tune of £400,000. The Arboretum’s website names Amey, Key Systems, Briggs Equipment and Jaguar Land Rover among its partners and supporters. All of these firms make profit from war and global instability.

The press and RBL did not even attempt to reflect these galling truths in their coverage of the event.

Those billionaires fuel fear and spread lies about countries that refuse to follow US orders or possess resources they want to get their grubby hands on.

Therefore, it becomes pretty clear that doing the bidding of arms companies – and the politicians in bed with them – hurts ordinary people, drains our pockets, and enriches only the billionaires at the top.

Britain faces a national security crisis within just a few years due to the impending collapse of global ecosystems, spy chiefs have warned, but the government is refusing to publish their report in full.

A redacted 14-page document warns of severe food shortages, which could… pic.twitter.com/Iia7CxE73k

— Novara Media (@novaramedia) July 13, 2026

A futile situation for the many whilst the few sit pretty

Meanwhile, there is a very real crisis coming towards us as a result of the breakdown of global ecosystems, which we always seem to fail to invest in, instead saying there just simply isn’t the funds.

This was called out recently by Labour MP Chris Hinchliff, who highlighted the blatant hypocrisy and failure to prioritise action on the climate emergency. As reported by Novara Media:

The government can summon billions of pounds for new military hardware when the defence sector calls for it. We need an equally decisive mobilisation of investment to restore the natural world on which we rely for our food, water and clean air.

Without these essentials our country has no future.

Every critical ecosystem across our planet is on a pathway to collapse with an irreversible loss of function, and this poses huge threats to our national security. This looming crisis demands urgent action.

Funnily enough, many of the same billionaires and hedge funds pouring money into arms companies also hold major investments in the fossil fuel industry.

That overlap creates a dangerous conflict of interest. It drives the world ever closer to the brink and forces billions of people to bear the consequences of climate breakdown and social collapse.

As the world burns, whether from bombs or extreme weather, the super-rich retreat to their private islands on private jets, shelter in air-conditioned luxury, and watch.

Featured image via the Canary