EU split over Iraq attacks

Published on Sunday 17 March 2002 00:00

SIMMERING opposition to American military strikes against Saddam Hussein threatened to split European leaders last night, despite their desperate attempts to keep the issue off the agenda at the Barcelona summit.

European Union President Romano Prodi gave a stern warning to George Bush and Tony Blair, saying it was "possible" that the organisation could oppose any move to extend the war to Iraq.

The signs of a split were reinforced as a string of EU leaders leaving the two-day conference complained that they had not been given the chance to discuss the most pressing security crisis facing the world .

Anxious senior figures within the EU managed to thwart a Belgian attempt to get the developing emergency on to the agenda during an official dinner attended by all EU heads of government on Friday .

Blair, who was left isolated in his defence of US policy , sought to play down claims that opposition to any further military action had been stifled. "This issue has not been the dominant issue at this summit," he claimed. "We are not at the point of decision on this or near it. When we are, I have no doubt we will discuss things closely."

But Prodi appeared to up the stakes over expected raids on Saddam’s chemical weapons stockpiles, insisting the US would have to put up a strong case to win EU-wide backing.

And leading European nations hardened their stance against America launching any unilateral attack on Iraq before it has won the blessing of the United Nations.

"I am worried about future possible American action in Iraq and the necessity for explanations and knowledge on the deep reasons for that," Prodi said.

Quizzed on whether the EU might vote to oppose US military action, Prodi added: "It is possible - but we are not talking about possibilities."

The summit coincided with a trip to the Middle East by US vice-president Dick Cheney - partly aimed at sounding out support for action if Saddam refuses to re-admit UN arms inspectors .

Belgian foreign minister Louis Michel claimed that his colleagues were ducking the issue. He said: "I think (Iraq) is a touchy subject, but that is no reason not to discuss it. Europe will have to address the matter, even if we don’t want to."

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder also hinted that he was frustrated that the EU had avoided such a weighty topic.

"I regret that sometimes these summits spend too much time on small details at the expense of getting to grips with the key issues," said Schroeder, who is believed to support only military strikes carried out under the auspices of the UN.

The deep unease will increase the pressure on President Bush as he ponders the possibility of acting alone against a long-term opponent.

Even among European leaders who have in the past backed the US, there was a clear message urging caution last night.

Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said: "I hope the war against terrorism does not widen, it should not widen to other fronts besides the current Afghanistan front."

The issue threatened to overshadow the outcome of the summit, which was intended to push forward key economic reforms across the EU.

Blair admitted that progress had been slow. But he tried to put an upbeat spin on the gathering, claiming it represented a "change of gear" for Europe after criticisms that the reform process launched two years ago in Lisbon had largely stalled. He insisted: "Momentum for economic change has been secured."

But Blair had to admit defeat over his attempts to get France to open its electricity market to foreign competition. On telecoms, another key part of the agenda laid down in Lisbon two years ago, there was agreement that "further progress was needed".

The leaders also agreed reforms to the regulation of road, rail and air travel, integration of financial markets and a 10-year programme of job creation.

But Blair accepted many of the reforms agreed by EU leaders would be seen as "nerdy" and only of interest to European "anoraks".