EU adopts tough-guy tactics to rival US

The Sydney Morning Herald ^ | June 21 2003 | staff writer

[yankeedame]

EU adopts tough-guy tactics to rival US

June 21 2003

The European Union has embraced a new doctrine of hard-nosed military intervention around the world. Outlining the EU's ambition to match the United States as a full economic and military superpower and facing up to the threat of terrorism, EU leaders meeting in Greece on Thursday ditched their strategy of "soft power".

Instead, they favoured a more muscular mix, including pre-emptive strikes against dangerous regimes if necessary.

The text, agreed by EU leaders at dinner on Thursday in the resort of Porto Carras, said the EU could no longer rely on static "Cold War" defence against terrorists determined to use "unlimited violence and cause massive casualties".

"Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is the single most important threat to peace and security among nations," said the text, drafted by Javier Solana, the EU's security chief.

"The new threats are dynamic. Left alone, terrorist networks will become ever more dangerous. We should have tackled al- Qaeda much earlier.

"This implies that we should be ready to act before a crisis occurs," Mr Solana said.

"As a union of 25 states with more than 450 million people producing a quarter of the world's gross national product, the EU is, like it or not, a global actor - it should be ready to share in the responsibility for global security."

EU leaders at the meeting are also likely to match a US initiative to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

A draft statement urged member states and the European Commission "to make a substantial contribution" to a global fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. EU contributions to the fund are expected to reach US1 billion [$1.48 billion] by next year.

Pressing economic issues, however, have been deferred. The EU postponed talks on reforming its crippling system of farm subsidies until next week.

The Telegraph, London; Reuters

[Semper Paratus]

The European Union has embraced a new doctrine of hard-nosed military intervention around the world.

My first take on reading that was to check and see if this was The Onion.

[chiefqc]

The easy part of this is over, The Talking.

The hard part is coming, Doing something rather than jawing.

They've talked the talk, now we'll see if they'll walk the walk.

[hang 'em]

But will the frogs still be allowed to surrender????

[Gabrielle Reilly]

Ping.

[Blood of Tyrants]

So the Communist Dictator Apologist Club is going to take on the US?

Bring it on.

[You Dirty Rats]

Hard-nosed military intervention?

You actually need a real military for that. The EU can't even handle Congo or the Balkans on their own.

Since the EU can't actually fight the real wars against terrorism, they could at least do the honorable thing and support us as best they can; or, failing that, step aside.

Instead, too many of them opposed us. Now we don't like you, and you're too weak to do anything about it. You're not even a 98-pound weakling, and we're going to kick sand in your face until you grow a pair and act like you really care about global security and eliminating murderous lunatic outlaws like OBL, Saddam, KJI, etc.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Allowed? They surrendered befre the talks began. (It was a condition for their attendance.)

[ko_kyi]

What a bunch of warmongering cowboys.

[A CA Guy]

This will go the same way as our stock market did when they thought the internet stock were the second coming.

At first this is all new and seems great. Then as their economies continue as they did before or worse, this will bust and they will be arguing left and right as they split apart with perhaps bittered relations between them.

It takes money to take action and these guys are cheap. Never going to happen past one small event.

[Tai_Chung]

They've talked the talk, now we'll see if they'll walk the walk.

They can't even talk the talk very well. The EU won't declare Hamas a terrorist group, won't discuss sanctions against North Korea, won't put presure on Iran, won't discuss improving their militaries to the US-standard won't praise the US war on terrorism and won't discuss military sales for Taiwan.

The Europeans are so used to appeasing the scum of the Earth that they won't know how to act like a true leader.

[Paleo Conservative]

The Europeans don't have the airlift and sealift capabilities to carry out their stated goals. Currently they are chartering Ukrainian Anotonovs when they need to haul large quantities of military supplies. Without their own military airlift capabilities, they are just a paper tiger.

[AdamSelene235]

EU adopts tough-guy tactics

Why am I suddenly reminded of Michael Jackson's bada$$ role in the video Smooth Criminal?

[RedWhiteBlue]

Translation: "OK, this is to all of you bad guys out there: If the US finds out that you are bad guys, they're going to come and get you! And we (the EU) will do a lot of talking as if we disagree, but the truth is that we can't stop them. You will be sorry when the US comes after you!"

[sheik yerbouty]

They must be high!

[Welsh Rabbit]

Yep, I noticed the article was blatently absent of any information on how the EU plans to finance a new super military. To start with, the EU countries will have to substantailly multiply their military spending. They've taken it for granted for so long that the US will put down any major unrest in Western Europe, they have grown very naive about how much it takes to maintane a superior military. I don't think enough European citizens would be willing to sacrafice the social spending to make financing such an army possible.

[rudypoot]

I agree: how are they going to pay and maintain it. The US has a about $10 trillion GDP and is shoveling about $400 billion annually for the military budget. Currently, the GDP of the EU is around $8 trillion, spending $120 billion in combined military budgets. France and Germany account for about $55 billion. However, these countries spend a full 50% of their national budget on social programs. How are they going to go to their people and say they have to take away their government check?

[A CA Guy]

Their economies are all in the toilet with no prospects for the future as well.
They and the Euro are currently the beneficiaries of a pyramid type scheme regarding their value due to a way overblown perception of optimism.
It's going to burst, just like our internet stock did, "bookmark this prediction".

[Mike Darancette]

The European Union has embraced a new doctrine of hard-nosed military intervention around the world.

The meeting then adjourned amid harsh words and physical attacks over the question of where to have lunch.

They are only so vicious because the stakes are so small.