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Politics : Foreign Policy Discussion Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: zonder who wrote (4320)	2/18/2003 9:47:56 AM
From: E. T.	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 15987

Squabbling Europeans send Iraq a warning Unity show fails to heal rift; Chirac lashes 10 lesser countries for failing 'to shut up' By ALAN FREEMAN With a report from AP Tuesday, February 18, 2003 BRUSSELS -- European leaders made a show of unity yesterday, insisting Baghdad disarm "immediately and fully" or face consequences, but deep divisions remain among the 15 countries. "Baghdad should have no illusions," said the statement issued by the leaders of the European Union after a five-hour summit. "It must disarm and co-operate immediately and fully." Yet the statement set no deadline for Iraqi compliance and only papered over the stark differences in opinion between Britain, which wants swift recourse to military action if Iraq does not disarm, and France -- backed by Germany -- which insists on giving more time to weapons inspections. And French President Jacques Chirac risked a new European squabble by launching a ferocious attack on a group of Central and Eastern European nations; would-be EU members that have publicly sided with the United States in pushing for military action. Accusing the 10 candidate nations of "childish" and "dangerous" behaviour, Mr. Chirac said that by aligning their views with the United States, the candidates have alienated EU members and may even have threatened their own entry into the European club. "They missed a good opportunity to shut up," Mr. Chirac said, adding that as outsiders they should realize they don't have the same status. "When you're already in the family, you have more rights than when you're knocking on the door trying to get in." British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that despite differences among the EU leaders, they all agreed that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein hasn't complied with UN Security Council demands to disarm and a strong message had to be sent. "Iraq will be disarmed of weapons of mass destruction," Mr. Blair said. "Whether it is done peacefully or by conflict, by military action, is up to Saddam and the Iraqi regime." Asked how much time Mr. Hussein had to comply, Mr. Blair said it depended on how much time it took to judge whether Iraq has co-operated sufficiently with the arms inspectors. "The time you need is the time to make the judgment: 'Is he co-operating or not?' " While the leaders' statement demands immediate compliance on disarmament, it did not include a phrase, suggested by Britain, that "time is running out." German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder objected to its inclusion, saying, "that was not acceptable to us." Mr. Chirac also showed no sign that he was ready to accept a second resolution before the UN Security Council that would specifically authorize military action if Iraq is considered to be in material breach of its requirement to disarm. "There is no need for a second resolution today, which France would have no choice but to oppose," the French President said. At the United Nations, however, U.S. and British diplomats said the two countries were planning on introducing a new resolution this week, probably tomorrow. Mr. Chirac also flatly denied the suggestion that France had told its European partners that it would give Mr. Hussein until March 14 to disarm, or "the game is over." Mr. Chirac responded sharply, "that declaration is false." UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who attended the summit, said that the final word remains with the Security Council on interpreting whether or not Iraq is in "material breach" of its resolution to disarm and what exactly are the "serious consequences" that would follow if such a breach is determined. Mr. Annan also called for world leaders to stop their squabbling. "We must avoid the tendency of turning on each other," he said. The EU declaration was evidently designed to please both sides of the European divide when it comes to what to do next on Iraq, urging a peaceful resolution of the crisis while at the same time brandishing the threat of force if Baghdad fails to comply. It said that primary responsibility for dealing with the issue lies with the Security Council and that the EU remains committed to full Iraqi disarmament. "We want to achieve this peacefully. It is clear that this is what the people of Europe want." It went on to say that "war is not inevitable. Force should only be used as a last resort." And the statement pledged support for the inspections process. But it also said that Baghdad had to disarm immediately and it acknowledged the importance of "unity and firmness of the international community. . . . and the military buildup have been essential in obtaining the return of the inspectors. These factors will remain essential if we are to achieve the full co-operation we seek." The summit followed NATO's success in defusing its own Iraq crisis on Sunday, when a solution was found to the month-long stalemate over providing defensive assistance to Turkey in case there is military action against Iraq, with which it shares a border. The EU consultations continue today with an informal summit of 13 candidate members who will also discuss the Iraq crisis. They include former Communist nations from Eastern and Central Europe, as well as Turkey, Cyprus and Malta. globeandmail.ca