Given the new emphasis on working with the UN on Iraq and the general trend towards conciliation in Europe, this statement by a State Dep't bigwig is surprising. Powell will not be amused.
sg.news.yahoo.com
US derides 'chocolate makers' for EU military headquarters plans
The United States sneered at plans by four European countries to create an autonomous European military command headquarters near Brussels separate from NATO, referring to the idea's proponents as "chocolate makers."
In unusually blunt language that drew surprised gasps from reporters, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher scoffed at Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg for continuing to support the proposal that they first introduced at a mini-summit in April.
He described the April meeting as one between "four countries that got together and had a little bitty summit" and then referred to them collectively as "the chocolate makers."
The derisive phrase appeared to target mainly Belgium, which is known for its high quality chocolate confections, and on Tuesday reiterated its support for the new headquarters.
After reflecting on his comments, Boucher immediately stood back, explaining that he had seen the phrase in press reports and saying that he should not have repeated them.
At the same time, though, he repeated US opposition to the plan first outlined by Secretary of State Colin Powell, who called the creation of a new European military headquarters "unnecessary" shortly after it was proposed.
"We've been strong supporters of the European Union, we've been strong supporters of effort that was made by the European Union to create its own military and security capabilities and to do that in cooperation and in conjunction with NATO," Boucher said.
"We've worked very closely with European governments, particularly in this administration, to work out the arrangements to that," he said.
"We think that's quite sufficient, we don't understand why we need more military headquarters or training programs," Boucher added.
Earlier Tuesday in Brussels, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt insisted that it was going ahead with the plans to open the new headquarters despite opposition from key EU states, including Britain.
Verhofstadt said such an HQ was an "absolute necessity," given the existence of autonomous European operations" such as that deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the last few months.
The idea was born amid great European opposition to the US-led war against Iraq particularly from the four nations who proposed it.
Three of the four countries behind the Brussels HQ plans sparked an unprecedented crisis in NATO in the run-up to the Iraq war: Belgium, France and Germany blocked the alliance from deploying military support in Turkey.
Their April 29 summit was seen by critics as a further provocation aimed at the United States, which has long dominated the 19-member Brussels-based North Atlantic alliance.
Although Boucher distanced himself from the "chocolate makers" remark, the dismissive attitude about the plan and its proponents is widespread.
One senior State Department official said the four nations backing it could also be called "the greater Benelux," a reference to the small trade association made up of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg that has no military component or aspirations |
