January 30, 2003

Tony, You're Not Alone! Wonderful

Tony, You're Not Alone!

Wonderful opinion piece in the Times of London jointly signed by a half dozen or so European leaders likely timed to appear just after W's State of the Union and continue to notch up the pressure on Saddam. More important, however, it is a direct challenge to Gerard Schroder and Jacques Chirac's delusion that, by hoisting a Franco-German position on Iraq to the Continent--other countries ostensibly lower in the EU pecking order would dutifully line up behind their approach. And it certainly helps Tony Blair in his confrontations with increasingly nettlesome Labor backbenchers. He's not just the lone W-phile poodle London ragsheets would have you believe. Rather, a good chunk of European leaders agree with his position on Iraq and are going on the record in the U.K. to make that message heard loud and clear.

Key paragraph: "We in Europe have a relationship with the United States which has stood the test of time. Thanks in large part to American bravery, generosity and far-sightedness, Europe was set free from the two forms of tyranny that devastated our continent in the 20th century: Nazism and Communism. Thanks, too, to the continued cooperation between Europe and the United States we have managed to guarantee peace and freedom on our continent. The transatlantic relationship must not become a casualty of the current Iraqi regime’s persistent attempts to threaten world security."

Also: "The United Nations Charter charges the Security Council with the task of preserving international peace and security. To do so, the Security Council must maintain its credibility by ensuring full compliance with its resolutions. We cannot allow a dictator to systematically violate those Resolutions. If they are not complied with, the Security Council will lose its credibility and world peace will suffer as a result."

There is also mention made of strength resulting from "unity," another direct message to Paris and Berlin to get on board. Paris likely will end up doing so under cover of evidence Powell will present to the UNSC on February 5th. Berlin, it would appear, is just too far gone to change position given myriad public pronouncements post-Schroder's shameless electioneering. Well, his government won't last too much longer regardless.

Read it here, and check out the various leaders who signed. Bosnia redux, of course. You didn't expect a common EU position on Iraq, did you?