Suspected Ebola case at the Pentagon thwarts meeting between Spanish and US defence ministers
Saturday, October 18, 2014 @ 6:28 PM
SPAIN'S minister of defence saw his meeting with his US counterpart Chuck Hagel postponed this morning (Saturday) due to a suspected case of Ebola at the Pentagon in Washington DC.
Pedro Morenés (pictured) was planning to discuss using North American-owned air-bases in Morón de la Frontera (Sevilla) and Rota (Cádiz) for refuelling and resting pilots and crew en route to west African countries affected by the deadly haemorrhagic virus in order to deliver medical supplies to help in the fight against the disease.
But just before the meeting was about to start at 18.15hrs on Friday local time (01.15hrs this morning in mainland Spain), a woman who had not long returned from Africa suddenly vomited in the defence department car park.
The meeting was put back as the woman was rushed to an isolation ward for testing amid stringent safety procedures.
It is thought that the meeting may have gone ahead later this morning.
Another topical issue due for discussion between the two ministers from either side of the pond is Spain's contribution to the international coalition led by the USA to stem the expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), an extremist group purporting to be Muslim which has already beheaded two British aid workers and North American journalist James Foley.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com