E.U. backs U.S. plan to overthrow Taliban regime

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS, OCT. 20. At the conclusion of the emergency Ghent summit on Friday night, the 15 European Union member-States, resolved to back the American drive to replace the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

U.S. special forces have launched the ground phase of the war in Afghanistan. The military action launched in southern Afghanistan marks a ``turning point'' in the second week of the war in Afghanistan. The European Union final document did not specifically mention an overt overthrow of the Taliban regime as called for in the initial draft declaration.

As the French President, Mr. Jacques Chirac said: ``This difference over wording did not hide the fact that there was `no question' that the Taliban had to be replaced by a democratic regime and concluded that its (Taliban) internal and external behaviour justifies its replacement.''

The final Ghent summit document says that under the auspices of the United Nations, the European Union should ``work towards the emergence of a stable new government, legitimate and representative of all the Afghan population.'' At this stage, neither the European nor American officials have any idea of the contour and composition of a post-Taliban administration and the current perceptions are based on ``agreed generalities'' as a European observer put it.

The Ghent summit also persuaded the European Central Bank to lower the interest rates to contain challenges posed by the economic slowdown. The ECB president, who has consistently championed the cause of the bank's independence, said there would be no cuts in interest rates until next year. Mr Wim Duisenberg, ECB president, told the E.U. leaders that the bank would not change its monetary policy unless the European inflation rate went below the current projection of less than two per cent in the next year.

The president of the European Parliament, Mr. Nicole Fontaine, urged the people and governments of Europe to agree swiftly on ``joint, concrete measures'' to strengthen civil defences and medical sectors against the threat of biological terrorism.

Justifying holding a mini-summit for an hour before the commencement of the main summit, the British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair said Britain, France and Germany intended ``no disrespect'' to the other countries and added that E.U. support for the military action had strengthened since the bombing in Afghanistan began.

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Section  : International
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