topic by
Raquel
2/7/2002 (10:38) |
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From the Tehran Times:EU-U.S. Gap Widening
News Analysis
TEHRAN - Most members of the European Union (EU) are coming to realize that the United States is only trying to promote its own interests in the world through its so-called war on terror and making baseless accusations against independent countries that refuse to bow to its domination.
Ever since the U.S. president's State of the Union address on January 29, in which he maliciously labeled some countries as part of an 'axis of evil', major countries in the world, even some close U.S. allies in Europe, have been denouncing Bush's irresponsible remarks and making it clear that they are not going to accept his unfounded charges against other countries. Furthermore, EU has announced that it is at odds with Washington for its bias toward Israel in the Middle East conflict. This indicates that the gap between the EU and the U.S. is widening, as the European countries are no longer willing to approve of Washington's unilateralism.
Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique said on Tuesday that the European Union will pursue economic and financial cooperation talks with Iran despite U.S. claims that Tehran is part of an 'axis of evil'.
Pique told a press conference that the EU had 'made a series of conclusions' about Iran and would 'continue to work on that basis.'
Also, an IRNA dispatch said that the European Union Council would approve the mandate for talks to begin on a EU-Iran cooperation and trade agreement under the current Spanish EU presidency.
Quoting EU sources, the IRNA report said 'it was quite normal that it takes months -- and sometimes even years -- to start cooperation talks with third countries.'
Spain took over the six-month rotating EU presidency on January 1.
All EU member states favored high-level contacts with Iran, said the report, adding that 'this approach will not change.'
The sources expressed surprise at the media reactions to the current U.S. policy toward Iran, saying that the American policy toward Tehran has been the same for years.
'It is not necessary for the EU to change its policy. The question is whether the U.S. will change its policy,' the EU source told IRNA, pointing to signals from Washington in the recent past that had suggested a change in U.S. policy toward the the Islamic Republic.
France's Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine also on Wednesday warned that the interests of the rest of the world were under threat from a 'simplistic' U.S. foreign policy that emerged after the September 11 attacks.
'Today we are threatened by a simplism that reduces all the problems of the world to the struggle against terrorism, and is not properly thought through,' AFP quoted the minister as saying.
France has supported the United States' right to strike back at those responsible for the attacks on U.S. cities on September 11 last year, but has been wary of President George W. Bush's apparent determination to extend the war beyond Afghanistan.
Vedrine expressed criticism of what has become known as the Bush doctrine, a decision by Washington to subordinate all foreign policy to the needs of the 'war against terrorism', and of unilateralism in general.
The United States, he said, acts 'unilaterally, without consulting others, taking decisions based on its own view of the world and its own interests ... refusing any multilateral negotiation that could limit their decision-making, sovereignty and freedom of action.'
Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, describing Bush's annual State of the Union address, said, 'I thought the State of the Union speech was best understood by the fact that there are mid-term congressional elections coming up in November,' while speaking to reporters at the British Embassy in Washington on Friday.
And at a Security Conference in Munich over the week, Ludger Volmer, a State Secretary at the German Foreign Ministry, warned the United States of an attack on Iraq. 'The terror argument cannot be used to settle old scores,' he said.
Vedrine said Europe also had a duty to stand up to the U.S. 'hyperpower' over the globalization of the free market and over policy towards the Middle East, calling for an end to the isolation of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
'The Europeans have not allowed themselves to be impressed by the positions taken by the United States over recent weeks,' Vedrine said.
Also, French Foreign Ministry spokesman, was quoted on Tuesday as saying that France had not approved Iran's links with the arm shipment to the Palestinian territories.
Asked to express France's stance toward 'Karine A', the spokesman said, 'As it was said in the EU statement, we want an international probe into the case.'
French Defense Minister Allen Richard also slammed Bush actions saying that the concept of peace among Europeans was quite different from that of the United States.
In Rome, Italian Prime Minsiter Silvio Berlusconi criticized the European Union for their 'theatrical' acts following the Sept. 11 attacks.
'Europe behaved the exact opposite of how it should have behaved,' Berlusconi told a parliamentary committee, arguing that the EU should have sent just one representative to express solidarity with U.S. President George W. Bush.
Focusing on the war against terrorism, Berlusconi said U.S. allies were following with 'worry and attention' the possibility that the United States might widen the current conflict beyond the boundaries of Afghanistan.
Berlusconi said Italy would continue its policy of working with both Iran and North Korea, arguing that dialogue was the best way to avoid misunderstandings between peoples.
Turning his attention to the Middle East, Berlusconi urged Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiating table, warning that the conflict could spread to neighboring states.
'We are in a situation that could cause the entire Islamic world to explode,' Reuters quoted him as saying.
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