Posted on 04/16/2003 5:00:15 PM PDT by MadIvan
The rift in Europe over Iraq reopened last night after America's friends began to assemble a stabilisation force to back coalition troops, but left out France.
Asked about the plan at the European Union summit in Athens, Jacques Chirac, the French president, expressed surprise.
"I do not know anything about this proposal," he said, adding that he did not think such a force would be "an essential part of the solution of the problem" in Iraq.
He was speaking a day after he had a 20-minute conversation with President George W Bush to try to repair relations with Washington.
Denmark's staunchly pro-American prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said that Washington had asked him to put together a 3,000-strong stabilisation force as quickly as possible to patrol Iraqi cities.
Mr Rasmussen said that Spain, Italy, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were ready to help and that others were coming around. Italy has approved the dispatch of 1,000 paramilitary policemen.
"Everyone realises that the international community and also the EU states have to make contributions across the board, both on stabilising the situation in the short term, but also on reconstruction in the long term."
The move coincided with a call by Mr Bush to the United Nations Security Council to lift the 12-year sanctions regime on Iraq.
He said: "Iraq should be able to trade freely and we need to transition from the oil-for-food programme as soon as possible and help restore a normal trading relationship with the global economy."
The move increased pressure on the anti-war powers to turn their declarations of support for a post-war government into reality.
Before the EU summit, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, warned France, Germany and Russia that the United Nations would be sidelined again if they refused to co-operate with the coalition.
He said: "I would be surprised if we run into a negative approach, because what we are talking about is making it easier for the Iraqis themselves to have a democratic government."
Gathering at their first EU summit since the fall of Saddam Hussein, the anti-war bloc faces the fresh dilemma of whether to help restore Europe's shattered unity and heal the rift with Washington, or reinforce an obstructionist role that is becoming more costly by the day in political terms.
Russia and Germany started to distance themselves from the anti-war coalition over the weekend. There were signs yesterday that M Chirac was also at last looking for a way out of the impasse.
In his first face-to-face meeting with Tony Blair since the war began, he turned on the charm in a 20-minute chat, promising to support the Anglo-American forces in their goal of handing over a pacified Iraq to an interim authority led by Iraqis.
M Chirac's spokesman, Catherine Colonna, said it had been a very positive meeting.
She said: "Issue by issue, we have to find the right balance between the role of the UN, which must be the essential role, and the American and British forces on the ground."
As a first gesture, M Chirac floated the idea of an EU airlift to evacuate wounded children for medical treatment in Europe.
As the two men met, thousands of Greek leftists clashed with riot police in nearby Syntagma Square, leaving the air filled with the tear gas so familiar to EU summits.
Up to 100 people also took over the British Airways office to protest at Mr Blair's presence in the city. Others hurled petrol bombs at the British, Spanish and Italian embassies.
Asked what he felt about provoking demonstrations said to be the worst in Greece for 30 years, Mr Blair said: "It is an important democratic right that people have in Europe that they can take to the streets.
"It is a right the people in Iraq have today but did not have for 30 years."
The Prime Minister repeated that there should be "an important role for the UN" both in humanitarian relief and the reconstruction of Iraq. But the real priority was for the Iraqi people to take charge of their destiny.
At a brain-storming session on the new European constitution, most of the leaders backed the creation of a "foreign minister" to prevent a repetition of the humiliating cacophony over Iraq.
But there was less support for plans pushed by Mr Blair for a full-time president in Brussels who could give "strategic direction" and provide a negotiating partner for the American president.
"We need someone the White House can call," a British official said.
There they go again, trying to impose terms. The French never learn. They should be crawling on their bellies to us instead of stamping their foot and making demands. With every passing day, my disgust for them deepens.
Froggy went a-courting and he did ride,
Uh-hmm, Uh-hmm
Froggy went a-courting and he did ride
Uh-hmm, Uh-hmm....
"Forgive, forget"... two words not really in my vocabulary. "Grudge. Revenge!" Now those words I like!
We would not have won as quickly as we did in Afghanistan without Russian logistical support. And this from a nation where the man in the street still hates us for what we did to the Serbs.
Russia expressed its position but did not bend heaven and earth to organize the world against us. France did. France saw an opportunity to cut America down to size and tore after it like dog in heat, not weighing results and costs. Putin was not as egotistical as Chirac, nor a flower child like Schroeder.
The European man in the street, whatever the preening of its leaders and intelligentsia, will only confront the US in an August-off, 35 hour workweek kind of way. He flatly refuses to assume the burdens and responsibilities that would come with really, really taking us on.
By the way, aren't there 3,000 French paratroopers right now in the Ivory Coast whom we courteously flew there ? Have the French thought of who is going to fly them back ?
Now that is a slap in the face even a cheese eating surrender monkey can understand. A telling point.
Another telling point is the way that France continues to prattle on about involving the UN when the Coalition prattles on about involving Iraqis. A world of difference, as we won't be celebrating the 50 year anniversary of an Iraqi refugee camp (as the UN recently did in the West Bank).
As the two men met, thousands of Greek leftists clashed with riot police in nearby Syntagma Square, leaving the air filled with the tear gas so familiar to EU summits. Up to 100 people also took over the British Airways office to protest at Mr Blair's presence in the city. Others hurled petrol bombs at the British, Spanish and Italian embassies. Asked what he felt about provoking demonstrations said to be the worst in Greece for 30 years, Mr Blair said: "It is an important democratic right that people have in Europe that they can take to the streets.Nuts. Rioting isn't a meaningful democratic right. The EU doesn't listen to its population as it is not democratic or directly responsible to the subject populations. But I guess leaving them the ability to riot quietly in the background gives the appearance of significant rights. Useful propaganda at any rate.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.