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![]() http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayA...n=opinion&col= Why Europe is pushing for Kerry BY SHADA ISLAM 22 August 2004 FORGET the handshakes and wide smiles at recent high-profile summits attended by US President George W. Bush and European leaders. Transatlantic relations remain mired in acrimony. Despite EU declarations of support for America, predictions that Europeans would overcome their misgivings over the Iraq war and join hands with the US to rebuild the country have been proven wrong. Increasingly, in fact, with the US presidential election only three months away, European policymakers are in no mood to come to the aid of a president whose policies they dislike. But with fingers crossed, and impressed by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's talk of building partnerships with America's allies, Europeans are watching and waiting for a change of guard in Washington. Though most Europeans expect the Kerry-Edwards ticket to continue with Bush's policies on Iraq, Israel, and Afghanistan, they believe that the policies will be articulated in a different, more palatable tone. Iraq remains the biggest bone of contention in transatlantic relations. French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, both of whom opposed the Iraq invasion, are proving just as sceptical of the Bush administration's calls for more EU reconstruction assistance and Nato involvement. The French and German leaders vetoed the deployment of Nato combat troops in Iraq, agreeing only at the Alliance summit in Istanbul last month that the organisation could train Iraqi soldiers and security forces but only outside the country. The rest of the 25-nation EU is also cautious about being drawn into helping post-war Iraq. In the first high-level contacts between European governments and the interim Iraqi authorities, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari secured a number of promises of support and help in rebuilding the country's legal system from EU foreign ministers in Brussels. But the pledges remained vague. Chirac and Schroeder are certainly the most unwilling to give Bush a helping hand, but they are not alone. "Most people want to help Iraq but not in a way that rewards Bush," says a senior EU diplomat. EU policymakers also make no secret of their distaste for a raft of other policies being pursued by the Bush administration such as Washington's rejection of the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, its calls for abstinence in the fight against Aids, and opposition to the International Criminal Court. "Most Europeans are not anti-American, but they are anti-Bush," says Fraser Cameron of the Brussels-based European Policy Centre. As such a Kerry victory and an end to the influence of neo-conservative policy-setting in Washington "will have chancelleries across Europe, including in London, heaving a collective sigh of relief," he says. EU policymakers, who view almost all current American initiatives with suspicion, will be ready to give 'more credit' to the future actions of a Democratic presidency even if the policies are not too different from current ones, says a senior EU diplomat. For one, Kerry's language of alliances and partners is music to EU ears after four years of being bullied and treated like 'kitchen boys' by the Bush administration. "The collective build-up of transatlantic insults and bad faith under the Bush administration can only be swept away if there is a change in government in Washington," says the diplomat, adding, "The slate has to be wiped clean." Second, he says, the transatlantic divide would be much less acute if Europeans felt there was genuine US concern about questions such as global warming. This change in rhetoric could certainly be the case with Turkey. Diplomats in Brussels warn that, given the current transatlantic mood, active US lobbying in favour of Turkish membership in the EU could actually end up triggering the opposite result unless Kerry makes the case in a subtler manner. Kerry's election may be greeted with cheer in Europe, but it will place more burdens and responsibilities on the EU, argues William Drozdiak of the Brussels-based Transatlantic Centre of the German Marshall Fund. "Europeans can refuse to send troops to Iraq at the moment, arguing that they do not want Bush to be re-elected. But if Kerry makes a similar request, Europeans will be put on the spot," cautions Drozdiak. The good news for many Europeans is that the Democratic presidential contenders are making an effort to get to know the EU. Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards has made two trips to meet top EU and Nato policymakers in the last two years, showing what Drozdiak calls an impressive readiness to listen to European view on a range of issues. Whether it's Bush or Kerry in the White House next year, the new US administration will be dealing with a more confident and assertive Union. The newly-expanded 25 nation bloc is set to sign its new constitution in late October and will start immediate preparations for establishing its first-ever diplomatic service, including top policymakers from the European Commission and national governments. The new department will be headed by the first EU foreign minister a post expected to be filled by Javier Solana, the current EU foreign and security policy chief. As it spreads its wings, the EU will be ready to take on more global responsibilities, especially in the Balkans and the Middle East. While the Bush administration has seen Europe's coming of age as a threat to America's international standing, the hope in Brussels is that a new Democratic administration in Washington will view the EU as a real partner, able to help the US in its fight against terrorism but also tackle violence and bloodshed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Increasingly self-confident Europeans and Americans may never see completely eye to eye on issues like the best way of combating global challenges, the role of the United Nations, and the US readiness to use military power. But with Kerry in charge, there will almost certainly be more cooperation and less trading of insults across the Atlantic. |
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"Rodney Blackall" wrote in message
1. What has this got to do with meteorology? Go for him Rodders, old stick. 2. Do you think the opinions of European leaders will influence U.S. citizens voting? Who cares? -- Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG |
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