Spain on Thursday ruled out mediation in its dispute with Morocco over the islet of Perejil, as Spanish forces dug themselves in on the rock on North Africa's coast a day after ousting Rabat's troops. Morocco compared Spain's pre-dawn swoop on Wednesday by 28 members of a Spanish special forces team to a "declaration of war," but, despite intense rhetoric, Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa left the door open to negotiations.

Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio also heeded pleas by allies of both sides for a rapid end to hostilities. She said Spain would withdraw from the uninhabited isle, just 200 yards off Morocco's coast, once it had a guarantee that Rabat would respect its neutral status.

"Obviously, this is not a declaration of war," Palacio told Spanish radio on Thursday. "We need to work to lower tensions."
Palacio suggested a promise from Morocco's King Mohammed would suffice for Spain to remove its troops, but she ruled out mediation by the United States or the United Nations.

"To talk about mediators in this crisis seems to me a bit foolish," she told Spanish radio. "This is something we have to resolve between Morocco and Spain. It is not sufficiently complicated for mediation."

Before nightfall on Wednesday, Spanish soldiers were seen working on stone walls and, supported by helicopters from one of the Spanish navy vessels nearby, set up a radio antenna and what appeared to be an anti-aircraft gun.

They ditched Moroccan flags which had flown over the islet since a dozen Moroccan soldiers landed there a week ago. Despite its tiny size, the sovereignty of the islet is sensitive as it lies only 4 miles from Spain's North enclave of Ceuta.

PHOTO CAPTION

Spanish soldiers chat on a military boat in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta July 18, 2002, the day after Spanish forces ousted Moroccan soldiers from the disputed islet Perejil, which is claimed by both countries. REUTERS/Andrea Comas