Bravo, Berlusconi! Grazie tante!
Berlusconi calls for UN "force" resolution on Iraq
ROME, Sept 25 (AFP) - Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi called Wednesday for a fresh and uncompromising United Nations resolution threatening the use of force to disarm Saddam Hussein's "dictatorial" regime.
Berlusconi told the Chamber of Deputies during a snap debate on Iraq that a "clear and urgent" UN resolution was required to thwart "the delays and tricks for which the Iraqi regime have demonstrated an extraordinary facility."
"The historic cost of inaction could be incalculable," added Berlusconi in a speech which gave full vent to his long-standing admiration of the United States and his conviction that Italy should stand by its ally, even as it threatens a war with Baghdad.
Berlusconi's speech drove a wedge between Italy and its EU allies France and Germany, whose leaders have already opposed any new UN Security Council resolution which would allow the use of force against Iraq.
French President Jacques Chirac suggested Tuesday that only a minority of states would back such a resolution.
"There is no solution other than putting in place, on a multilateral basis, a coalition capable of imposing scrupulous respect for a new UN resolution ... one which authorises the measured use of force in a case where the international community would be challenged again," said Berlusconi.
The United States is pressing the UN Security Council to adopt a tough new resolution on Iraq that lays out its refusal to abide with previous mandates, sets out what Baghdad must do to comply and details the consequences of non-compliance.
But it has warned that if the United Nations did not act, it will deal with the threat posed by Saddam itself, or with the help of a few allies.
"When the collective good is at stake we need to free ourselves from ambiguity and egotism," said the prime minister, who is also Italy's foreign minister.
"Our way of life, our destiny, whether Italians or Europeans, are linked to the United States," said Berlusconi, adding that Italy could not just dismiss US strategic concerns "with a shrug of the shoulders".
Berlusconi is one of the closest allies of US President George Bush within the European Union and has sought to closely align his foreign policy with that of Washington since his election last year.
He warned his EU allies that Washington would render the UN irrelevant if they failed to produce a strong resolution allowing the use of force.
"If the United States is today putting the emphasis on the possibility of acting alone, or in the framework of alliances put in place ad hoc for different politico-military actions, that means that the multilateral decision-making system is an intolerable failure for a country which has taken the biggest responsibility and which has a direct national interest, vis-a-vis world security", he said.
He also defended Bush against comparisons with Hitler reportedly made by German justice minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin, who has since been dropped from the new administration in Berlin.
"Certain comparisons with Adolf Hitler suit dictators and international outlaws, and not to the great American democracy and its president."
Italy is expected to provide up to 1,000 battle-ready troops to replace US soldiers in Afghanistan being redeployed to the Gulf.
Reaction to Berlusconi's speech by the centre-left opposition indicated that the debate over Italy's support for military action in Iraq will be long and bitter.
Massimo D'Alema, president of the biggest opposition party, Democrats of the Left, said Berlusconi was "absolutely wrong."
"Berlusconi is putting Italy in a position not of alliance with the US, but of acquiesence," he said.
"The majority of Italians are absolutely against war," he added.
The Secretary of the Italian Communist party, Oliviero Diliberto, said he was "disgusted" by the speech.
"As far as Berlusconi is concerned, we have abandoned every independent line to the views of the United States and we have destroyed the unity of Europe. But even more seriously, we have joined in the acceptance of war as a means of resolving international disputes."
Regards, Ivan
WOE betide those weedy westerners who criticise Oriana Fallaci's post-September 11th rant, “La rabbia e l'orgoglio” (“Rage and pride”) against the “sons of Allah”, who “breed like rats”, invade Europe to soil the piazzas and bridges of the author's native Florence with their expletive deleted ,and—wherever they may be, from Morocco to Afghanistan, Kenya to Saudi Arabia—revere as a hero Osama bin Laden. To take issue with this description is to be a spineless member of the chattering classes, and, in particular, to “have no b#lls”.
Gotta love the Italians!
Bravo, Berlusconi! Grazie tante!