[A-List] Europe/US rivalry

["Keaney Michael" <Michael.Keaney@xxxxxx>]

 EU calls truce in 'axis of evil' row

Ian Black in Brussels
Wednesday February 20, 2002
The Guardian

The European Union's two foreign policy chiefs called yesterday for a
calmer tone after angry transatlantic exchanges over George Bush's "axis
of evil" speech, but signalled firm opposition to US military action
against Iraq.

Javier Solana, the union's "high representative" for common foreign and
security policy, warned of the need to avoid "megaphone diplomacy" and
close the widening gap between the EU and the US.

"The relationship between the United States and the EU is crucial and we
should not play with that relationship, and the US should not play with
it either," the Spanish official said. "We have to talk as much as
possible, to coordinate and to maintain a good tone, otherwise we will
run into trouble. It will be very damaging if we don't talk."

Chris Patten, the external affairs commissioner, who earlier this month
attacked Mr Bush for going into "unilateralist overdrive", said
separately that he wanted to convince Washington that a multilateral
approach to foreign policy would pay dividends for the US as well as
Europeans.

Hailing Europe's contribution to the war on terrorism, he said: "I hope
that the success America has had in sustaining the coalition will
convince the administration that multilateralism is the most sensible
approach to America's national interest as well as the global interest.

"Our partnership is absolutely crucial, not only for our own wellbeing
but for the wellbeing of the world."

Admitting that he had "lost his cool" in his recent Guardian interview
in which he was strongly critical of the US president, a placatory Mr
Patten nevertheless made clear that he stood by the EU's policy of
engagement with Iran and North Korea, which Mr Bush singled out along
with Iraq as an "axis of evil".

But the transatlantic gap was most visible on Iraq, against a background
of reported US preparations for a war involving 200,000 men and a
concerted effort, backing the Iraqi opposition, to overthrow Saddam
Hussein.

Mr Solana and Mr Patten insisted that the EU would work for effective
implementation of "smart" sanctions in exchange for the return of UN
weapons inspectors, expelled in 1998.

"We must try more aggressively to push Saddam Hussein into accepting the
inspectors," Mr Patten said. "None of us should be in any doubt that he
is an evil dictator."

But he warned: "It would be a tragedy if Saddam Hussein got the
impression that he could play off one group of countries against
another."

Privately, diplomats in Brussels are convinced that the US intends to
attack Iraq after a war of words between now and May, when the UN
security council needs to review the sanctions regime.

Mr Patten also hinted at grave doubts about the declared US goal of
seeking to change the Baghdad regime. "If I was an Iraqi citizen my view
would be the sooner the regime changes the better. I just hope that
those of us who share that goal will be thoughtful, intelligent and
sophisticated in how we go about it."

Mr Patten and Mr Solana were seeking to soothe ruffled feathers in
Washington after dismay across Europe and furious criticism of Mr Bush's
state of the union address last month in which he referred to the axis
of evil.

But Mr Patten acknowledged that there was a basis for US irritation with
an EU left far behind by America's vastly greater military spending and
global reach.

"The most irritating thing about working with Europe is the number of
times that our rhetoric outstrips what we are actually willing or able
to do," he admitted. "For American criticism of us to focus on that is
entirely legitimate."

Full article at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,652958,00.html

Michael Keaney
Mercuria Business School
Martinlaaksontie 36
01620 Vantaa
Finland

michael.keaney@xxxxxx