Regards, Ivan
Posted on 11/26/2002 5:26:29 PM PST by MadIvan
France and Germany have called for a full European security and defence union, pushing Britain to the sidelines in their latest attempt to revive the Berlin-Paris axis.
In a move that has alarmed the Foreign Office, the two governments have put forward a joint plan for a Euro-army with an "integrated command capability" and a "European Armaments Agency".
The ideas are being portrayed in Paris and Berlin as the product of frustration at Britain's tendency to be the mouthpiece of America on foreign policy issues, rather than looking to Europe.
The Franco-German plan envisages something far more ambitious than the limited peacekeeping and humanitarian missions of the European Union's rapid reaction force of 60,000.
Under the Franco-German blueprint there would be a unified system of military training and a shared strategic doctrine.
The document talks about establishing "multinational forces with integrated leadership capacities, regardless of their Nato actions". It also talks about "harmonising military needs planning".
The proposals, which are to be submitted to the defence working group of the Convention on the Future of Europe, alter the character of EU defence and threaten the current link between the EU's rapid reaction force and the Nato command structure.
The Earl of Stockton, a Tory MEP and a member of the convention's defence working group, said the Government was losing control of the European military project, which it launched with the French at St Malo in 1998.
"If this goes ahead, it will effectively by-pass the joint EU-Nato command and open the way for a total separation from Nato, which is what the French have always wanted, of course," he said.
Crucially, France and Germany say they must be allowed to go ahead with the plans even if other EU nations oppose the idea.
The document proposes letting an advance guard of EU states form their own defence corps, backed by the EU institutions under a mechanism known as "enhanced co-operation".
Decisions would be made on the basis of qualified majority voting, meaning that Britain could not stop the others using the EU apparatus for military purposes it opposed.
In effect, defence would be brought under the Community umbrella, a move that was fiercely resisted by the Government at the Nice Summit in December 2000.
While Britain can still stop such plans being included in the European constitution, the Government will be under great pressure to accept the outcome of the convention next year.
The plans call into serious question Mr Blair's assurances that the EU has no proposals for a European army. It is not clear, however, whether the Europeans have the defence capability to mount a viable operation without British involvement and use of American Nato assets.
The EU lacks heavy-lift aircraft, attack helicopters, fighter/ground attack aircraft, and unmanned drones, and has to rely on American spy satellites for basic intelligence.
The EU already has a military staff headquarters in Brussels brimming with generals and colonels, as well as a crisis control centre and an intelligence cell.
A spokesman for the German foreign ministry said: "We want a greater flexibility so that countries wanting to move ahead should have the freedom to do so. In a possible future union of 25 member countries we cannot allow the slowest one to set the pace for the rest."
The Foreign Office is concerned that under the Franco-German proposals, new structures would be created among a few European Union nations that would be seen as alternatives to those in Nato.
These would then become the embryos for a new European defence structure.
Regards, Ivan
They have now revealed themselves to be aligned with the Axis of Evil.
In retrospect, it seems it was truly expected, given WW1 and WW2.
Mine: A new Nato with all of Europe, Russia, Turkey, Caucusus, NA --- minus France and Germany. Policy - containment.
The very best to you and yours.
Semper Fi
Tommie
The pact will be signed next month in a railway car near Verdun...
Just to state the obvious, the ONLY reason that France and Germany want to leave NATO is because they don't see themselves remaining friendly with the U.S. much longer. And that is all the more reason to transition Russia into full NATO membership as France and Germany transition out of it...
Now, since we can't afford rifles, I want you to yell "bang" very loudly on my command. BANG. Very good. Now, since we don't have any tanks, you will go "vroom vroom" on my command. VROOM VROOM. Very good.
Now you will learn the new Eurosalute. Arms down, thumbs pointed down along the seams of your trousers. On command, lock elbows, rotate both arms 180% over your heads, keeping them fully extended, and uncurl your fingers until they are extended and joined, rotating your hands so the palms are open and facing me. HAND SALUTE! Very good.
The command to return to attention is SURRENDER ACCEPTED!
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