MEPs in emergency session

Date: 20/03/03

By Martin Banks

THE European Parliament was today (20 March) due to hold an extraordinary emergency session on Iraq, the first such gathering in its history.

Pat Cox, the assembly's president, led a chorus of appeals for member states to put their differences over the crisis behind them and move on. They should "stop the blame game" and look forward, he declared yesterday.

The Irishman pledged that the Parliament would "make full use" of its budgetary powers and "assume all its responsibilities" to help rebuild Iraq after war.

Hans-Gert Pöttering, European People's Party leader, said: "The diverging positions of EU countries on Iraq should not give rise to an anti-US attitude in Europe. The different positions adopted by member states are a disaster for a common foreign security policy, but I hope this crisis will lead to new political opportunities, and that European countries will understand that in future they will need a common position on such crucial issues."

Socialist leader Enrique Barón Crespo condemned President George W. Bush for his "virtual unilateral declaration of war" against Saddam Hussein. He said the action challenged international order and warned it would cause a "humanitarian catastrophe".

Liberal group leader Graham Watson said: "In the interests of the troops massed in the Gulf and Iraqi people I hope the war is short and as bloodless as possible."

Greens/European Free Alliance leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit, however, predicted the US-led military campaign would cause enormous suffering to thousands of innocent Iraqis.

Jens-Peter Bonde, leader of the eurosceptic Europe of Democracies and Diversities group, said the crisis highlighted the "futility" of the EU's "pretensions" of developing a common foreign policy.

Former Irish premier John Bruton, a member of the European Convention, said he was "distraught" at the imminent war, describing the crisis as an "unmitigated disaster" for the EU.

He added: "I hope and pray that casualties can be kept to a minimum."

Convention colleague and UK Welsh Secretary Peter Hain echoed that, saying: "I hope the war is over quickly and we can get on with liberating the Iraqi people from a murderous tyrant."

Former French president and Convention chairman Valéry Giscard d'Estaing regretted that Europe had been unable to take a united position which would have improved its chances of playing a decisive role.

Dick Oosting, director of Amnesty International's EU office, sought an assurance from all sides in the war to respect international laws and put people first.

The European Parliament was due to hold an extraordinary emergency session on Iraq, 20 March 2003, the first such gathering in its history.