U.S. still at odds with Europe after Iraq
Washington remains at odds with transatlantic allies despite their efforts to reconcile following a breakdown over the war in Iraq.
Last year's security conference in Munich, which took place as Washington stood on the brink of war, will be remembered for an electrifying clash between German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
The next day NATO was plunged into one of the deepest crises in its half a century as France and Germany battled to resist military preparations for a conflict they rejected.
Both sides tried this year to put a better face on things, joined by NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer who urged them to "get back to business". But tensions remained.
Francois Heisbourg, director of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research and a participant at Munich, said 2004 may prove to be a year of "transatlantic make-believe rather than making-up".
Asked about surveys showing U.S. prestige suffering from a perception Washington marched only to its own drum, Rumsfeld underscored strains on Saturday, saying: "I know in my heart and my brain that America ain't what's wrong with the world."
NO REGRETS
Fischer did not let the opportunity pass at Munich this year to insist that Berlin still opposed the war and, apparently referring to Washington's failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, said events had proved it right.
He voiced "deep scepticism" about Washington's ambition to give NATO a stabilisation role in Iraq, and said that although Germany would not stand in the way of a consensus on this within the alliance it would not deploy troops of its own.
France voiced reservations too, raising the prospect of -- if not another bust-up -- at least some tense wrangling at NATO.
Speaking in Munich, Rumsfeld said he had no regrets about his explosive "Old Europe and New Europe" comment last year, which was taken as a snub to longtime allies France and Germany for their opposition to the Iraq war.
He said a survey in Germany had shown its television reporting was biased against Washington and compared the coverage to that of the Arab channel Al Jazeera.
The old-new split across Europe over Iraq triggered a drive by France, Germany and others to quicken the pace of European Union security and defence integration and -- as many saw it -- create a counterweight to U.S. power.
Tension over their ambitions came to a head last year because of plans to establish an EU military headquarters independent of NATO which were pared back only after pressure from the United States on its closest European ally, Britain.
French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie insisted in Munich there was no question of competition between the EU and NATO. But she would not agree that NATO must always get first option on dealing with a crisis.
Diplomats said strains were emerging over the U.S. view that the alliance should retain a significant presence in Bosnia after peacekeeping is handed over to the EU at the end of 2004.
MIDDLE EAST, CHINA
Other hazards lie on the road ahead for U.S.-Europe ties.
Among them is Washington's Greater Middle East initiative for democracy and stability, even if it stresses softer powers of aid and trade that the EU favours over military action.
Jim Hoagland, a foreign affairs commentator, said Europeans were unlikely to agree readily to the plan.
"France is concerned about losing influence in North Africa and is joined by Germany and others in worrying that the European Union's Mediterranean policy -- and funds -- will be displaced or absorbed by a bigger U.S. effort," he wrote. "There is also a suspicion that Washington will use its big initiative to deflect urgent action on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
Heisbourg said the question of where to build a $12 billion experimental nuclear fusion reactor might also be divisive. Washington has backed a site in Japan against one in France.
reuters.co.uk
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