Europe rallies behind U.S.

By Vaiju Naravane

PARIS, OCT. 8.Most European leaders were quick to make televised statements of support following the launch of the U.S. attacks against the Taliban. The U.S. President, Mr. George Bush, had taken care to speak to them on the telephone prior to the attacks.

Expressing French solidarity with the American position, the President, Mr. Jacques Chirac, said in a short televised address that the U.S. had ``made renewed demands for French military participation.'' These, he said would be met. The Bush administration had asked Mr. Chirac to send a senior French adviser to Washington for discreet and concrete consultation just prior to the strikes. Washington has been careful to keep France, considered by many to be the most reluctant of the Western European, allies fully in the loop.

Mr. Chirac said an aircraft carrier was already on its way and that France would give other military support as and when it was required. The Defence Minister, Mr. Alain Richard, today revealed that special French commando units were already operating within Afghanistan, cooperating and acting together with similar British and American forces. France has deployed 1500 men in Egypt and the Red Sea. The kind of support Paris is giving includes motorised infantry, commandos, frigates and other ships. The French foreign legion based in Djibuti could be called in.

Mr. Richard said in an interview: ``We have discussed the division of tasks with our allies, the Americans. The U.S. knows that we can swing into action with dozens of planes or ships and thousands of men to take part in operations against terrorist targets on Afghan territory. It's a matter of days.''

Though France houses the largest north African Muslim population of any European nation (4 million or 7.8 per cent of the population), there were no reports of violence from Arab dominated suburbs near the usual hotspots of Paris, Marseilles or Lyon. The daily Liberation today published a report saying that French Muslims were by and large in support of the attacks and did not feel affinity towards radical Islam. However, ``vigiparate'' the French high alert, anti-terrorist action continues, with thousands of policemen patrolling the streets and deployed in the vulnerable underground railway network.

In Italy, Mr. Silvio Berlusconi, resolutely pro-U.S. conservative Prime Minister said: ``Italy is beside the United States and with all those who are fighting terrorism.'' Italy has been placed under high alert after U.S. intelligence services warned that it could be the next target for terrorist attacks.

``Let us not forget that the Vatican, the seat of the Roman Catholic religion is located in Rome. If this is seen as a war between the Christian and Muslim civilisations by misguided terrorists who listened to Osama bin Laden's rhetoric yesterday, we could see bloody attacks taking place here. The authorities are afraid that Rome's ancient monuments like the Colosseum, its many churches and museums could become the target of attack,'' said journalist Giovanni Porta.

The presence in Rome of the former ruler of Afghanistan, Mr. Zahir Shah, is a distinct source for Italian authorities. The former monarch has lived here for the past 28 years, ever since his ouster from power in 1973 in a coup. Maurizio Calvi, Director of the Centre for Research on Terrorism said: ``The diplomatic activity around the former King, his continued presence in Rome and the fact that he has reached an agreement with the Northern Alliance to form what could be described as a government in exile could be dangerous.''

But there were several anti-war protests in Italy, especially outside the U.S. embassy and the buildings of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The European Union issued a statement of solidarity saying ``The Afghan people deserve a government which is truly representative.'' The Prime Minister, Mr. Guy Verhofstadt, said: ``The E.U., on the basis of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1368 considers this riposte to be legitimate.''

The E.U.'s commissioner for foreign policy, Mr. Xavier Solana of Spain, said the E.U.'s support for the strikes was ``unambiguous''. The Taliban, he said, was facing the consequences of their actions.

In Spain, the Prime Minister, Mr. Jose Maria Aznar, was vociferous in his support of U.S. action, describing it as ``an act of legitimate self-defence.''

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Section  : International
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