U.S. backs European force

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, NOV 26. Even as Euro-sceptics here continue to rail at the Blair Government for joining the new European defence force, the U.S. has come out in support of it, taking the sting out of the charge that it would undermine NATO and Britain's alliance with America.

In a public demonstration of support, the U.S. Secretary of State, Ms. Madeleine Albright, took the unusual step of writing a joint article with the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Robin Cook in The Observer today saying that Europe is on the ``right track'' and her Government ``fully supports Europe's common security and defence policy.''

In a sharp rebuttal of the argument that it would weaken NATO, the article says: ``Dangers to NATO and the trans- Atlantic link are far from likely to come from European weakness rather than European strength.''

The Observer claimed that the article was written with the ``(U.S.) President's full backing'' and that it was the outcome of a 50-minute telephone conversation between Mr. Blair and Mr. Bill Clinton on Thursday.

Essentially, the article is an elaboration of the American position, stated by senior officials and diplomats this past week, but the fact that Mr. Blair got Washington to present it as a common Anglo-U.S. perspective shows that criticism at home had become to worry him. In the past two days, though, it has been the Tory leader and his tormentor-in-chief, Mr. William Hague, who has come under attack from his own senior party leaders, including a foreign Defence Secretary, Mr. Michael Heseltine, who has said that the seeds for a Euro force were sown during the Tory regime.

The Observer article ``vindicates'' not only the Blair Government's position, but also that of Mr. Heseltine and other Tory leaders who don't share Mr. Hague's line that the Euro force is a French ``political project'' intended to weaken Europe's links with NATO and wean Britain away from America. It explains the rationale for an independent European defence initiative saying it would fill the gap in Europe's capability to meet ``rapidly evolving challenges of the post Cold War world.''

There is need for Europe to assume greater responsibility for its common security and to be able to ``act

quickly and effectively in fast-breaking crises.'' This is what the Euro force would do, even as Europe would continue to strengthen its alliance with NATO.

In what sounds like Mr. Cook's contribution, the article emphasises that it would not be a European army ``run form Brussels'' and nor is it a ``blueprint for dividing Europe or the Atlantic alliance.''

This has been a hectic Euro-centred week which has seen Mr. Blair and Mr. Hague alternatively struggle to defend their positions, but in the end Mr. Blair seems to have done a little better.

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Section  : International
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