Bush Wins EU Support on Iraq, But Other Differences Remain -- GOPUSA

Bush Wins EU Support on Iraq, But Other Differences Remain
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com International Editor
February 23, 2005

(CNSNews.com) -- President Bush won European backing Tuesday for rebuilding Iraq and confirmation of a NATO mission to train the country's security forces. He welcomed the support as a signal that sharp transatlantic differences over the war were receding.

"We liberated Iraq, and that decision has been made -- it's over with -- and now it's time to unify for the sake of peace," he told a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

After a later meeting, with European Union leaders, Bush spoke about the closeness of the transatlantic partnership.

He also repeated that Washington was supportive of a "strong" EU.

The head of the EU's executive Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, also struck a conciliatory note, saying the U.S. and Europe "have reconnected."

In a joint statement, the U.S. and EU governments voiced support for the Iraqi people and the new government soon to be formed following last month's elections.

They also agreed that, should the new Iraqi government request it, the U.S. and Europe would co-host an international conference "to encourage and coordinate international support for Iraq."

Separately, NATO leaders jointly affirmed a commitment to train Iraqi forces. NATO pledged last June to provide 300 military training staff to Baghdad although contributions have been patchy.

NATO countries which opposed the war, such as France and Germany, are prepared either to fund training or to help train Iraqis, but only outside of the country.

Although Bush and European leaders highlighted cooperation and the positive tone, differences arose as expected over a EU plan to lift an embargo on selling weapons to China.

The U.S. argues that ending the ban, which was imposed in response to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, would send the wrong signal to China about human rights, and unsettle the military balance in the Taiwan Strait.

The EU says lifting the ban would not result in a surge of weapons sales, as future transactions would be governed by a strict "code of conduct."

At the NATO press conference, Bush voiced "deep concern" about the EU plan, mentioning the possibility that Congress could take retaliatory action.

He said he had been told while in Europe that the U.S. concerns had been heard.

"They will try to develop a plan that will ease concerns," he said. "Now, whether they can or not, we'll see."

Differences between the U.S. and Europe also persist over the relative roles and importance of NATO and the EU.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sparked unease in the U.S. with a recent speech delivered for him at a security forum in Munich in which he alluded to the centrality of the EU and said that NATO was no longer the "primary venue" for transatlantic dialogue.

Although Schroeder said subsequently that his remarks were misconstrued, they were nonetheless seen as an attempt to downgrade NATO's relevance, in favor of the increasingly-integrated EU superstate Germany and France in particular are advocating.

At NATO headquarters Tuesday, Bush gave his response to that thinking, calling NATO "the cornerstone" of the relationship between the U.S. and Europe.

He also stressed -- repeating the phrase twice -- that "NATO is the most successful alliance in the history of the world."

It had "worked in the past and is adjusting so that it works in the future."

Bush said NATO should not be taken for granted, and pointedly added that the nine former Communist nations of Eastern Europe which recently joined the Alliance certainly did not do so.

A key aspect of the Franco-German-driven EU project is the development of a single European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), an initiative widely seen as an attempt to strengthen the EU's influence vis-a-vis the U.S.

The move has raised doubts in Washington, where NATO has long been regarded as the central plank of transatlantic military cooperation. U.S. officials want to see improvements to enable it to meet new threats.

The Bush administration has also favored the creation of ad-hoc coalitions in response to crises, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stated on several occasions in the aftermath of 9/11 that "the mission determines the coalition."

The EU and NATO have 25 and 26 members respectively, but their membership makeup differs considerably.

Countries belonging to both are Belgium, Czech, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the UK.

NATO members not in the EU are Bulgaria, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Romania, Turkey and the United States.

EU member-states not in NATO are Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Malta and Sweden.