Patriot anti-missiles deployment not hostile act to Morocco, Spanish official

Spanish Defense Minister, Jose Bono, on Wednesday denied before the Congress of Deputies (Parliament) that Spain's deployment of 64 Patriot anti-missiles is a "hostile act toward Morocco."

Last Sunday, the Spanish newspaper "El Mundo" reported that the Spanish army intends to deploy the Patriot anti missiles in southern Spain in face of Moroccan shores after the Council of Ministers approved the purchase of second hand missiles from Germany.

A source of the Spanish Defense Ministry, quoted by the paper, said that "relations with Morocco are excellent which diminishes the importance of the geo-strategic location of the missiles that will not be permanent. Besides, the Patriot missiles are entirely defensive."

Commenting this information, "El Mundo" said "terrorist groups can easily get possession of long-range missiles," noting that Spain is having "for the first time a defensive system against eventual aggressions."