| Author (Person) | Cronin, David |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.9, No.24, 26.6.03, p15 |
| Publication Date | 26/06/2003 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 26/06/03 Javier Solana sought to solve the dispute over EU"pre-emptive engagement" during the Greek summit. David Cronin reports from Thessaloniki THE killing fields of Bunia may seem a world away from an idyllic holiday resort in Greece. But the inter-ethnic conflict in north-eastern Congo provided a real-life illustration of a discussion about the EU's role in the world at the Thessaloniki summit. Last weekend's ultimatum from General Jean-Paul Thonier, the French field commander of the EU-led Operation Artemis in Congo, represented a departure for the Union. His warning to the leaders of the Hema and Lendu militia on 21 June, that they must give up their arms within 72 hours, was the first time the Union had ever intervened so directly in a war. Two days earlier, Javier Solana had won backing from EU leaders for his paper, giving the broad outlines of a security doctrine for the Union. The ideas expressed by the EU's high representative for foreign affairs are due to be fleshed out in discussions over the coming six months. On the surface, it appears the Solana paper marks a tectonic shift by embracing (at least partially) the concept of "pre-emptive engagement". George W. Bush employed a similar concept - pre-emptive strikes - to justify the war against Iraq. The US president argued that it was necessary to confront the perceived threat that terrorists allegedly harboured by Saddam Hussein presented, before they carried out attacks on American streets. Yet top EU figures sought to stress at Thessaloniki that they were not exactly humming the same jingoistic tune as Bush. George Papandreou, the Greek foreign minister, suggested on Thursday night that he regarded strategies of coercing regime change as dubious. A similar point was made by Solana in an interview with The Irish Times, where he said the EU is "not in that business of regime change" by use of force. Predictably, US observers of the summit were not too enamoured with such remarks. A senior American diplomat said he felt Papandreou should not have rejected the notion of regime change, given that Solana's security strategy does not discard it. The Solana paper says "pre-emptive engagement can avoid more serious problems in the future". It is worth noticing that this sentence comes at the end of a paragraph that is mainly devoted to the fight against poverty. This says that, as the world's largest provider of official development assistance, the EU is well placed to encourage good governance in the world, particularly if it attaches strict conditions to its overseas aid. Development efforts, it adds, are "an important element in a European Union security strategy". There are several references in the paper to Solana's thesis that only a combination of "soft" (civilian) and "hard" (military) power instruments can address the challenges of the 21st century, in particular terrorism. He makes clear that the traditional notion, which outlasted the Cold War, that the main threat to countries was invasion by another's army, no longer applies. "With the new threats, the first line of defence will be abroad," it adds. The paper nods to calls for higher defence expenditure, without explicitly referring to demands by outgoing NATO Secretary-General George Robertson for EU states to devote a minimum of 2% of their national incomes to it. It also appears to exhort the EU's leaders to think how scenes such as the mass looting that paralysed some Iraq hospitals in the wake of Saddam Hussein's removalcan be avoided in the future. Solana alludes to the need for "greater capacity to bring civilian resources to bear in crisis and post-crisis situations". "In particular, we should look at stronger arrangements for civilian planning and mission support. In almost every major intervention, military efficiency has been followed by civilian chaos." Javier Solana, the EU's High Representative for CFSP, presented to board outlines for a security doctrine for the European Union on 19 June 2003. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations, Security and Defence |
