Louis Michel, the Belgian Foreign Minister, said that such a plan should be launched even if it had no grounding in reality. Apparently that's the case.
Regards, Ivan
Posted on 12/16/2002 4:40:07 PM PST by MadIvan
The European Union is drawing up plans for a "Euro-Pentagon" in Brussels commanded by a defence chief able to launch military operations anywhere in the world.
The proposals call for an EU defence secretary with responsibility for running operations.
Yes the two Boy Scouts with a slingshot will go to Bosnia, then to Iraq, and then to Lebanon, all before tea time! - Ivan
His staff would be able to draw on an autonomous EU command and control nexus and an intelligence agency with satellite capability.
They are to be published today by the defence working group of the Convention on the Future of Europe. They will form the basis of the military section in the EU's draft constitution next June.
The group was chaired by the French commissioner Michel Barnier, who has been accused of playing down contributions from those opposed to a European army.
British objections appear to have been ignored in the final draft, though footnotes allude to intense disagreements among the group's members.
The document says the world has changed so dramatically since September 11, 2001, that national defence is "no longer sufficient".
The plans go far beyond the EU's 60,000-man rapid reaction force, which is to take on its first peacekeeping mission in the Balkans early next year.
The defence secretary - a beefed-up version of the current post of high representative held by Javier Solana of Spain - would report to EU defence ministers but would have powers to take "necessary decisions" in an emergency.
The force would have a broad mandate to "dispel hostility", a term that seems to open the door to much wider warfare than the existing menu of humanitarian tasks.
This military structure would be backed by a European Arms and Strategic Research Agency that could harness the EU's industrial might for future military needs. An EU military academy was also floated as a possibility.
The proposals are causing deep concern to the EU's four non-Nato neutral states - Austria, Sweden, Finland, and Ireland - and were greeted with alarm yesterday by the Tories.
Geoffrey Van Orden, MEP, the Tory defence spokesman in Brussels, said: "If this isn't an EU army then I don't know what it is. Mr Blair should call a halt to this before it is too late."
Louis Michel, the Belgian Foreign Minister, said that such a plan should be launched even if it had no grounding in reality. Apparently that's the case.
Regards, Ivan
There are several countries in Europe which I wouldn't mind watching spend themselves into oblivion. Funding an additional, new EU defense force on top of their NATO contributions, UN contributions, and their own national defense contributions (on top of their already-bloated social spending) seems like the ideal way to achieve my goal, too...
Apparently so, darling. Isn't it wonderful, our lads get to go fight and die, led by French and Luxembourgish generals?
Love, Ivan
In other words, it's a perfect match for EU economic policies, Ivan.
Look, if you intend by that utilization of an obscure colloquiallism to imply that their sanity is not up to scratch, or indeed to deny the semi-existence of their little chum Eric the Half-Bee, I shall have to ask you to listen to this!
Take it away, Eric the orchestra leader!.......
Regards, Ivan
And banking secrecy laws, darling. ;)
Love, Ivan
I don't have enough money (yet *L*) to know of such things. *L* I did, however, tune into Radio Luxembourg...me being the teenage rebel that I was *L* (Long time ago now..me being 30 and all *L*)
Ah, sweet darling, you're the young one - I'm the old man. ;)
Love, Ivan
I don't know about that. In euroweenie talk, "dispelling hostility" might mean handing out bumper stickers reading "War is mean!".
Or sending therapists from their socialist health care systems to ask the Palestinians to talk about their feelings.
Perhaps I'm a base and crude Anglo-Saxon, but first instinct is to just shoot the bastards.
Regards, Ivan
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