Spain Foreign Relations Europe

At the peak of the American flood of men and arms into the Persian Gulf, U.S. military jets landed at bases in Spain every two or three minutes. Serviced and refueled, the planes took off again to neighborhood complaints about noise, national ambivalence over their presence, and an unprecedented commitment by Spain's Socialist government to their mission.

Economist Gonzalo Viloria, 46, lives with his 39-year-old wife, Alicia Barrios, and their two teen-aged children in an apartment they bought eight years ago in Majadahonda, a pastoral village within commuting distance of Madrid. Their combined annual income--Barrios manages aprivate security company--is about $67,000. "In daily life, in economic terms, (the European Community) isn't noticeable yet, because the big steps toward integration haven't been taken.

Economist Gonzalo Viloria, 46, lives with his 39-year-old wife, Alicia Barrios, and their two teen-aged children in an apartment they bought eight years ago in Majadahonda, a pastoral village within commuting distance of Madrid. Their combined annual income--Barrios manages aprivate security company--is about $67,000. "In daily life, in economic terms, (the European Community) isn't noticeable yet, because the big steps toward integration haven't been taken.

At the peak of the American flood of men and arms into the Persian Gulf, U.S. military jets landed at bases in Spain every two or three minutes. Serviced and refueled, the planes took off again to neighborhood complaints about noise, national ambivalence over their presence, and an unprecedented commitment by Spain's Socialist government to their mission.