-Caveat Lector- Rifts with Europe on Iraq get deeper
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi- 0303220218mar22,1,3880313.story?coll=chi%2Dnewsnationworld%2Dhed By Stevenson Swanson Tribune correspondent March 22, 2003 BRUSSELS -- Any hope that European leaders would be able to patch up their differences over Iraq evaporated Friday as France, Germany and Belgium said they would discuss closer links among their armed forces to serve as a counterweight to Britain and the U.S. And, despite a polite exchange between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac, feuding flared up again between Britain and France. As a summit of the leaders of the 15 European Union members ended, Chirac said France would veto any proposed UN Security Council resolution that granted Washington and London wide-ranging administrative powers in postwar Iraq. The French maintain that the United Nations alone should direct the reconstruction of Iraq. That stance could cause more friction with the Bush administration, which has indicated it wants a UN mandate that would not tie its hands. Blair played down the difference at a news conference, saying the U.S., Britain and EU agree that the UN should play a significant role in Iraq in establishing a new political order and in administering humanitarian aid and Iraqi oil revenues. "How that takes place is something we will discuss," Blair said. In the only direct exchange between the two leaders, Chirac gave Blair a personal note expressing his condolences on the death of British troops in Iraq, calling it a "cruel ordeal," according to diplomats. Despite his threat to veto any attempt to limit the UN role in Iraq's reconstruction, Chirac said he did not view Britain as an adversary. "Things are not black and white," he said during a news conference. "Europe has never been a bed of roses." Blair said the recent disagreement had shown that relations with the U.S. were a clear fault line in the EU that would have to be addressed "after a period of reflection" following the Iraq conflict. "Europe should be the friend and partner of America, not its rival," Blair said. "That is an article of faith for me." Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt announced that French, German and Belgian officials would meet next month to discuss ways to forge closer links for their armed forces. The proposal, which would create a union-within-a-union if successful, involves the three EU members that have been most vocal in opposing a military assault on Iraq. Although German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder insisted no country would be excluded from a common defense policy, Belgian officials said that only three nations were invited to the summit in Paris, pointedly excluding Britain, America's closest ally in Iraq and Europe's leading military power. Schroeder said the initiative would boost European defense industries and could one day lead to common EU armed forces. A British official derided the plan. "I wonder how serious is the idea of basing European defense on Belgium without Britain," said Denis MacShane, Britain's Europe minister. "European defense is a matter of two countries that have military capacities: France and Britain." In a statement on Iraq released Thursday, the EU leaders could not agree on wording to say who was responsible for the war. France forced the removal of a phrase that Iraq had failed to take a final chance to disarm. The statement set out the union's goal of providing humanitarian aid to Iraq. On Friday, EU officials began the process of approving about $105 million in relief funding. The EU leaders also approved a statement calling on Israel to reverse its settlement policy and on Palestinians to continue reforms. Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune Improved archives! 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