Posted on 03/24/2010 9:18:46 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The Cold War-era Western European Union defence alliance, set up in the wake of World War II, is to cease functioning, its assembly's head Robert Walter said on Wednesday.
"The WEU as an organisation will be wound down within a year or so," said British parliamentarian Walter, who presides over the Paris-based assembly of the international grouping.
The body was initiated by Belgium, Britain, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands in 1948 and later expanded to include Germany, Italy, Spain and others.
Its founding principles were "to afford assistance to each other in resisting any policy of aggression," and "to promote unity and to encourage the progressive integration of Europe."
The very year after it was formed the eclipse of the western European body began with the formation of NATO, with the key inclusion of the United States.
It has since seen its role disappear altogether as the Cold War ended and the 27-nation European Union and NATO presided over a largely peaceful Europe.
Walters said an announcement would be made "in the coming days" on ending the WEU, which is no longer seen as having a useful role in the present-day world.
According to a diplomat, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband wrote this month to the WEU's British delegation informing it of Britain's intention to renounce the body's founding treaty within the coming days.
Many countries hope for a more collective announcement, the source said.
Including associate and observer nations, the WEU is made up of 28 countries including most of the EU members along with Turkey, Iceland and Norway.
(Excerpt) Read more at ca.news.yahoo.com ...
Well, I can certainly see why they would want to "wind down" this alliance. There is a chance they might be forced to resist aggression if the structure to do so is in place. Or, try to, anyway.
Unbelievable. A totally redundant bureaucracy survived for 62 years.[/s]
I can understand during the Cold War but after 1989, should have been disbanded.
Might as well shut it down. The communists won the cold war last Sunday. The “Defense Alliance” didn’t work so well.
So there is a government program that ends. In Pennsylvania there is still a tax for the Johnstown flood that happend in 1936...
I did not know that
Just darn it. When I scanned the headline, I thought for a moment we might be pulling our troops out of Germany, et al.
We could use them here to patrol the borders.
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