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8 European Leaders Call for Unity with US Over Iraq

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by MadMax, Jan 30, 2003.

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  1. MadMax

    MadMax Member

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    Who's going it alone?

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,482-559907,00.html

    January 30, 2003

    Europe and America must stand united



    THE real bond between the United States and Europe is the values we share: democracy, individual freedom, human rights and the Rule of Law. These values crossed the Atlantic with those who sailed from Europe to help create the USA. Today they are under greater threat than ever.
    The attacks of 11 September showed just how far terrorists — the enemies of our common values — are prepared to go to destroy them. Those outrages were an attack on all of us. In standing firm in defence of these principles, the governments and people of the United States and Europe have amply demonstrated the strength of their convictions. Today more than ever, the transatlantic bond is a guarantee of our freedom.

    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.

    In today’s world, more than ever before, it is vital that we preserve that unity and cohesion. We know that success in the day-to-day battle against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction demands unwavering determination and firm international cohesion on the part of all countries for whom freedom is precious.

    The Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction represent a clear threat to world security. This danger has been explicitly recognised by the United Nations. All of us are bound by Security Council Resolution 1441, which was adopted unanimously. We Europeans have since reiterated our backing for Resolution 1441, our wish to pursue the UN route and our support for the Security Council, at the Prague Nato Summit and the Copenhagen European Council.

    In doing so, we sent a clear, firm and unequivocal message that we would rid the world of the danger posed by Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. We must remain united in insisting that his regime is disarmed. The solidarity, cohesion and determination of the international community are our best hope of achieving this peacefully. Our strength lies in unity.

    The combination of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism is a threat of incalculable consequences. It is one at which all of us should feel concerned. Resolution 1441 is Saddam Hussein’s last chance to disarm using peaceful means. The opportunity to avoid greater confrontation rests with him. Sadly this week the UN weapons inspectors have confirmed that his long-established pattern of deception, denial and non-compliance with UN Security Council resolutions is continuing.

    Europe has no quarrel with the Iraqi people. Indeed, they are the first victims of Iraq’s current brutal regime. Our goal is to safeguard world peace and security by ensuring that this regime gives up its weapons of mass destruction. Our governments have a common responsibility to face this threat. Failure to do so would be nothing less than negligent to our own citizens and to the wider world.

    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.

    We are confident that the Security Council will face up to its responsibilities.

    José María Aznar, Spain
    José Manuel Durão Barroso, Portugal
    Silvio Berlusconi, Italy
    Tony Blair, United Kingdom
    Václav Havel, Czech Republic
    Peter Medgyessy, Hungary
    Leszek Miller, Poland
    Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Denmark
     
    #1 MadMax, Jan 30, 2003
  2. bigtexxx

    bigtexxx Member

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    Outstanding post. France? Germany? Seems they are the minority now.

    France's mission in the world is to tweak the U.S. anytime they can (remember when our jets had to fly around France to bomb Khadafi after Pan Am blew up over Lockerbie?).

    Germany's Schroeder was locked in a close battle he was probably going to lose and he decided to tap into the anti-war sentiment near the end of the last election for a late boost. He also has been blasted in Germany for their economy since the election. The antiwar stance allows a distraction away from his problems at home. If Schroeder had not been in such a close election, he may not have resorted to the antiwar card. Now he is locked into a position he cannot change without totally humiliating himself.

    Both nations' political influence in Europe could be severly damaged after this is all over, as could their relations with the US.
     
    #2 bigtexxx, Jan 30, 2003
  3. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    France is a weak, weak country.

    They are not worthy of a seat on the Security council.

    We had to bail them out twice last century, I am pretty sure if they did not make such good wine, we would have let Germany keep em.

    DD
     
    #3 DaDakota, Jan 30, 2003
  4. robbie380

    robbie380 ლ(▀̿Ĺ̯▀̿ ̿ლ)
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    thank god finally the media publicized something about the fact that we are not going it alone and that a good portion of europe supports us. i think it was rumsfeld who made the comment about germany and france being old europe and that the us was in touch with the new europe...not too diplomatic but he is right.
     
    #4 robbie380, Jan 30, 2003
  5. rimbaud

    rimbaud Member
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    What are the two times? I can only think of one.
     
    #5 rimbaud, Jan 30, 2003
  6. 111chase111

    111chase111 Member

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    #6 111chase111, Jan 30, 2003
  7. Buck Turgidson

    Buck Turgidson Member

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    Add Jordan (who supported Saddam in 1991) to the list of countries joining the U.S. in our "unilateral" action against Iraq:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63312-2003Jan29.html

    Jordan has decided to allow the discreet stationing of U.S. troops here to man air defenses, the launch of search-and-rescue missions from its airfields and the passage of allied planes across its airspace in any war with neighboring Iraq...."Definitely, we will be helpful," said a senior Jordanian official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "But we cannot say bring 10,000 troops and march from Jordan to Iraq. That could be disastrous, and the Americans appreciate this."

    Added a former Jordanian official who maintains contacts with the government: "We are fully with the Americans."
     
    #7 Buck Turgidson, Jan 30, 2003
  8. AroundTheWorld

    AroundTheWorld Member

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    Then think again (or check some history books).

    Anyway, I think this was a good diplomatic effort (in terms of how they got what they wanted) by the US administration. Germany did an incredibly clumsy foreign policy job, which, I think, was mainly motivated by Schröder's considerations of how he thinks he looks best when it comes to domestic policy.
     
    #8 AroundTheWorld, Jan 30, 2003
  9. rimbaud

    rimbaud Member
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    Then why don't you educate me?
     
    #9 rimbaud, Jan 30, 2003
  10. AroundTheWorld

    AroundTheWorld Member

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    http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWusa.htm

    I assume you know about 1944/1945.

    Why do I have to do all the work here, it takes 10 seconds to look that up in a search engine :mad: ;).
     
    #10 AroundTheWorld, Jan 30, 2003
  11. Achebe

    Achebe Member

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    com'on rimbaud, don't you think Vietnam was the best "can you stand here for a moment" in the history of mankind?

    Regardless, if they weren't all a bunch of cigarette smoking turtlenecks, I'd live there.
     
    #11 Achebe, Jan 30, 2003
  12. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    WW1, WW2

    Ring a bell?

    DD
     
    #12 DaDakota, Jan 30, 2003
  13. rimbaud

    rimbaud Member
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    OK, you took the bait...

    So how, exactly, did the US "bail out" France in WWI? "Bail out" implies saving from defeat, etc...so who was about to defeat France?
     
    #13 rimbaud, Jan 30, 2003
  14. Pole

    Pole Houston Rockets--Tilman Fertitta's latest mess.

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    Like a pit viper.....you don't get to feed every day.
     
    #14 Pole, Jan 30, 2003
  15. Sonny

    Sonny Member

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    I used to work with this very hot Italian girl who came to America to work for my previous employer. She was very smart (actuary) and we spoke about history all of the time. She always seemed to take offense when I would tell her that Great Britian and Israel were the United State's biggest allies. I am glad to see most of Europe (f*ck the French) stand with us, especially Italy. I am gonna have to track her down and apoligize, I would always tell her that Italy wasn't much of an ally.

    I don't understand Germany's beef with the US, I would think that they would favor us after our massive efforts to keep West Germany from communism for 30+ yrs. I am hoping that they change their mind after we show our info to the UN. Not that Germany owes the US anything (Marshall Plan... ;)), I would just think that they would give us the benifit of the doubt.
     
    #15 Sonny, Jan 31, 2003
  16. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    RimBaud,

    The US went to war in France in WW1, do you think the French could have won that war without our involvement?

    DD
     
    #16 DaDakota, Jan 31, 2003
  17. treeman

    treeman Member

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    rimbaud:

    You must admit that we did pull their (Frogs) asses out of the potential fire during the Cold War by staring the Soviets down for 45 years and preventing a communist takeover of Western Europe - a takeover that surely would have occurred without the US military blocking the way (and threatening MAD). So twice it is.

    DaDakota:

    The allies were well on their way to defeating Germany by the time we entered WWI. Our entry just sealed the deal.
     
    #17 treeman, Jan 31, 2003
  18. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    Treeman,

    The allies were not well on their way, it had stagnated, and Germany and the Allies economies were in the crapper.

    The US did turn the tide, it was hardly a case of them just mopping up.

    DD
     
    #18 DaDakota, Jan 31, 2003
  19. treeman

    treeman Member

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    DaDakota:

    To an extent. But by 1917 there was really no chance whatsoever that the Germans were going to break through and march into Paris. Both sides were exhausted; our entry simply reinforced the stalemate and put the allies on better terms than the enemy.

    It did not change the outcome, it merely hastened it.
     
    #19 treeman, Jan 31, 2003
  20. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    Treeman,

    The outcome was still in doubt. Yes, they were not going to march into Paris.

    However they could have sued for a much better deal in peace then the Versaille treaty allowed them.

    The US went into what was effectively a European war....mostly because of the sinking of the Lusitania.

    To downplay the contribution of the over quarter of a million US casualties is a bit much.

    We fought in the war, and we turned the tide...that to me is bailing them out.

    DD
     
    #20 DaDakota, Jan 31, 2003
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