EU's Solana urges U.S. to tone down Syria comments

Reuters | 4/14/03

[kattracks]

EU's Solana urges U.S. to tone down Syria comments

LUXEMBOURG, April 14 (Reuters) - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana urged Washington on Monday to tone down its statements about Syria, saying it was time to "cool down" the tense situation in the Middle East.

Asked about the tough U.S. rhetoric on Syria, Solana replied "The region is going through a very difficult process and I think it would be better to make constructive statements to see if we can cool down the situation..."

Solana was speaking before an EU foreign ministers meeting to discuss how the bloc could help postwar Iraq and how to heal the deep divisions over the U.S.-led war, which saw Britain, Spain and Italy supporting Washington while France, Belgium and Germany led the anti-war camp.

The EU has said it wants the United Nations to have the central role in the rebuilding of Iraq, but Washington has said it will decide what happens once the war is over.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said Washington should focus on the task at hand in Iraq, where the rule of President Saddam Hussein has been replaced with civil unrest.

"We should concentrate on winning the peace and not to get into a new confrontation," he told reporters in Luxembourg.

The ministers discussed Swedish proposals to strengthen EU efforts to stop countries from producing and keeping weapons of mass destruction, including extending export controls to materials which could be used to produce such weapons.

The question of how to treat states that do not cooperate on non-proliferation will be discussed at the EU-US summit in late May, diplomats said.

External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten said deciding on how the EU could help rebuild Iraq would help to ensure that the United Nations had a say over the country's future.

"If the EU were in a position to identify, at an early stage, what role it would like to play in post-conflict Iraq, it might be possible to exert influence over the content of any UN resolution," he said in a note to the ministers.

Solana and Patten both proposed financial support for Iraq, developing Iraqi civil society and cooperating with the United Nations and NATO in providing postwar stability and security.

04/14/03 08:16 ET

[goldstategop]

Javier Solana and the Eurotrash have been anything but helpful to us in the Middle East. Time to ratchet up things wuth Syria.

[anniegetyourgun]

Aside from God Almighty first and the American people second, no one is in any position to tell this President what to say.

[goldstategop]

Especially when they weren't bleeding with us in Iraq and now they presume to offer us advice? The gall of them!

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[smith288]

Nah... we got a big stick and used it... Why not flaunt it for a little. These people respect power. They might not like us but they cant deny our awesome show of power.

When you beat the living poop out of someone and then you look at the next person with the bat still in your hand, people tend to fall in line a little.

[Keith]

right on...let's put a horse's head in Solana's bed.

[MinuteGal]

"It's time to 'cool down' the tense situation on the Middle East and to 'tone down' Syria comments....."

No, Senor Solano, it's time for you Euroweenie spokesmen to shut your mouths!

In the wake of a huge victory, NOW is the time to warn Syria and other rogue nations to shape up or blow up while Saddam's downfall is still fresh in everyone's minds.

Delay, procrastination, meddling and undermining is the stock in trade of the EU and the UN, and we're on to your tricks.

Leni

[Sam Cree]

"It's time to 'cool down' the tense situation on the Middle East and to 'tone down' Syria comments....."

W just cooled it down, IMO, alot. I guess Solana's agenda lies elsewhere.

I'm amazed at the love affair the EU is having with totalitarianism and fascists. Guess it's appropriate that they picked socialism for themselves.

[WL-law]

Asked about the tough U.S. rhetoric on Syria, Solana replied "The region is going through a very difficult process and I think it would be better to make constructive statements to see if we can cool down the situation..."

Whattaya mean "we", Solana !?!

[patriciaruth]

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana urged Washington on Monday to tone down its statements about Syria,

Well, I had promised COB1 that we'd invade Borneo next, but this statement has me thinking that maybe Luxembourg would be a better target.

[goldstategop]

I don't recall the EU sending ANY divisions to Iraq. Perhaps Solana can correct me I'm wrong.

[christie]

The ministers discussed Swedish proposals to strengthen EU efforts to stop countries from producing and keeping weapons of mass destruction, including extending export controls to materials which could be used to produce such weapons.

The question of how to treat states that do not cooperate on non-proliferation will be discussed at the EU-US summit in late May, diplomats said.

Gee, the question is how are you going to treat (punish) France and Germany and Russia who've been proliferating weapons and WMD in Iraq for years. Me thinks that the US shouldn't sit around waiting for the EU and UN to do a damn thing.

[wideawake]

I don't understand why both the UN and the EU seem to be intent on making public statements which underline and magnify the extent of their irrelevance.

Maybe I'm missing something, but how can the Solanas and Annans of the world have a strategy which is served by this toothless carping?

[goldstategop]

We cleaned up the mess in Iraq better than all the useless chatter in the salons of Europe ever could. And Solana knows it.

[Diogenesis]

Solana? Solana the sputum licker?

Here he is leading a queue to lick terrorist sputum
directly from the lips of Arafat the Egyptian, a documented murderer of Americans and children
in the sick EU Wyndego tradition.

[SpinyNorman]

I hope he has no objection to us ripping into the cowardly, traitorous French!

[geedee]

Atta Girl! Go get 'em!

[verity]

right on...let's put a horse's head in Solana's bed.

Perhaps a horse's ass would be more appropriate.

[goldstategop]

More like Saddam's head.