Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Dick Gephart running for President, challenging Bush on economics
Dick Gephart announced today his candidacy for the Democratic candidacy for President of the United States.
Judging from his website, he is challenging Bush on his economics, not on Iraq. Or at least, the word Iraq is not mentioned once on his new website.
Dick Gephart 2004
Friday, February 14, 2003
Euro Gallup poll shows Europeans do not want military action
In a latest Gallup poll published by the USA Today it is clear that Europeans do not want a military campaign against Saddam Hussein.
AP Question: Are Europeans resentfully about the US policies, or are they afraid of radicalization in the Muslim world?
A crucial question to understand these figures.
Many Europeans oppose war in Iraq USA Today
Thursday, February 13, 2003
Dutch public think US is greater thread to world peace than Iraq and North- Corea
The Dutch think that the US is a greater thread to world peace than any other country. This result was presented in an opinion poll yesterday in the TV program Netwerk.
Asked who is the greater thread, the US, Iraq or North Corea, 39 % answers the US. Only three % more than Iraq, of whom 36% thinks its a greater thread. Of Labour voters 45% name the US as war mongers, only 30% point to Iraq. The voters of the Socialist Party (SP) point for 62% to the US and only 20% to Iraq.
The Amsterdam Post conclusion is that the Dutch public and specifically the left is blinded by antipathy against mainly George Bush. The result is that they have more confidence in a brutal dictator than in an elected government of a democratic country and ally that was attacked by merciless terrorists.
Is it a rational policy choice or is it fear to also become a target for a Bin Laden style terrorist attack? And is this the core origin of the Trans- Atlantic rift?
Netwerk TV
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
Dutch Labour Party backs down on Patriots for Turkey
On Tuesday 12/2/03 the Labour leader Wouter Bos told journalist after talks with party members in parliament backed down on the sending of patriot anti- missile rockets to Turkey.
Last Friday he was in favour of sending the armour if an ally asked for it under art. 4. He would not have supported the patriot sending on Friday if the US asked for it. He did not want to support the American policies.
Today he changed his mind. Making the coalition talks with prime minister Balkenende quite complicated.
To avoid "war logic" the Labour Party does not want to talk about war preparations until the UN Security Council has decided on military action.
He fully supports the French/German/Belgian position, splitting the alliance. At the same time calling to postpone the decision on Turkey to allow unity in the Nato alliance.
The Christian Democrats have their misgivings of this move and ask with which Wouter Bos they are dealing in the coalition talks.
It sounds like "Old" Labour. The Dutch Labour Party is miles from the "New" Labour of Tony Blair.
PvdA tegen uitlenen patriots Nova TV
UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw defuses sceptic arguments
In an comprehensive speech at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw makes the case against further delay in disarming Saddam Hussein. He directly and effectively dismisses the Franco- German proposals.
British Foreign Secretary Straw answering questions
The arguments he addresses are:
As we enter the final, decisive phase in this long crisis there is, understandably, considerable public anxiety about the prospect of military action. Today I want to examine six of the most commonly expressed arguments about the Government’s approach. These are:
First, that the threat from Iraq overstated; that it is no worse than from other rogue regimes. What is the threat to Europe and the United States?
Second: by backing diplomatic efforts with the credible threat of force are we somehow undermining international law?
Third: if the decade-long policy of containment against Iraq is working, why do we threaten disarmament by force?
Fourth: won’t military action have a disproportionate effect on Iraq and the wider region?
Fifth, isn’t our real motivation to secure control of some of the world’s largest oil reserves?
And sixth: in calling for the enforcement of UN resolutions against Iraq, aren’t we guilty of double standards in relation to the Israel/Palestine conflict?
IISS Straw Page Real Audio available.
Alliance rift over Iraq widens
France, Germany and Russia issued a joined statement, pleading for more monitoring of Iraq with inspectors.
+ DECLARATION COMMUNE RUSSIE - ALLEMAGNE - FRANCE
+ 'There Is Still an Alternative to War' Translation in the Washington Post
+ Russia, France and Germany Call for Diplomatic Solution
Bush Warns Damage to Alliance; Says Hussein Stalling The Washington Post
+ Nato crisis 'will not delay war' BBC Online
BBC reports link between Saddam and Al Qaida in Newsnight
+ 10 February 2003, Iraq/al-Qaeda connections Newsnight netcast
A French Russian statement on their Strategic relations, mainly on the non-proliferation of WMD
+ DECLARATION FRANCO-RUSSE
SUR LES QUESTIONS STRATEGIQUES
Monday, February 10, 2003
Division over Iraq in Dutch Coalition talks
The coalition talks after the Dutch General election between the Christian Democrats (CDA) and Labour (PvdA) for a centre/left government gets influenced by the divisions in Europe over Iraq.
The Labour party holds the German French line and wants to grab every opportunity to extend the hand of the UN weapons inspectors, in hoping that they will find and destroy those weapons or will conclude that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction at all.
The Christian Democratic leader Balkenende holds the Bush/Blair line.
Spokesman Eurlings (CDA) said that the views of Labour are in public much tougher on the US policies than behind closed doors.
Oorlog sluipt formatie in Het Parool
Franco- German Axis is Chickining out
Three NATO members France, Germany and Belgium vetoed the US request to start defensive preparations at the borders of NATO member Turkey.
A complete division of opinion is visible in Europe. This is the moment Saddam has been waiting for.
First delaying and cooperating halfheartedly and hoping that the weak hearted populations of "old" Europe start chickening out, leaving the US and England to stand alone.
The Germans and French do not understand that their influence is non existent if they follow this line. It will be counterproductive. A united western alliance is what is needed at the moment. A united front can ensure a that Saddam is ousted out of power and that the rebuilding of Iraq can take place in a spirit of cooperation and common goals.
If both countries persist, a post Saddam period will be very hard and perilous. But a future with Saddam Hussein will be even more perilous.
+ France, Germany Block U.S. at NATO on Turkey Washington Post
+ HOW DARE THE FRENCH FORGET New York Post
EU Convention launches first draft of the EU Constitution
The Convention presented the first sixteen articles of what might be a European Federal constitution.
+ Draft of Articles 1 to 16 of the Constitutional Treaty pdf
+ Convention on the Future of the EU EurActiv
Commission Sec.gen David O'Sullivan of the Commission on the Convention
+ The Convention and the Future Design of the EU - A Commission Perspective
Saturday, February 08, 2003
International Tensions rising over Iraq, Germany Fully Opposes War
Europe is divided over a main Foreign Policy issue. The chart shows the
disunity where a common stance is very necessary.
Tuesday, February 04, 2003
Fellow traveler Tony Benn sees in Saddam Hussein champion of peace
Dutch TV just broadcasted the Tony Benn interview of last Sunday with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
The first impression is that Saddam does not answer any question directly. He first of all gives a long and tedious essay in probably eloquent Arabic with a lot of beautiful generalities. Then he answers the direct question of Mr. Benn with bold lies.
Tony Benn treats Saddam Hussein as if he is the champion of peace, fighting against the evil called the US and the Britain of Tony Blair.
I couldn´t stop thinking of all the people he killed with his own bare hands and the 180.000 Kurdes he ordered to kill with some lethal poisonous gaz.
If Tony Benn is the spokesman of a modern peace movement, peaceniks should be ashamed of themselves.
+ Full text of the Saddam interview BBC Online
+ Zembla TV
+ Oltmans en Faber over het interview met Saddam
Monday, February 03, 2003
The debates on Iraq go on and on
Last Friday the Dutch parliament discussed the Iraq crisis. There wasn´t a clear conclusion. The parties on the left (SP,GL,PvdA and D66) wanted to wait talking on a possible war until the UN security council has spoken. They want to avoid war at all costs and basically do not trust the Americans.
Interestingly, the two hard nosed left parties, SP and GL, did vote in favour of a motion of PvdA and D66, regulating military action to strict UN and EU agreement. So they didn´t rule out the use of military force.
The parties on the right (VVD, CDA) are more willing to listen to the American argument, but they have to cooperate in a new coalition government, so prime minister Balkenende was very reluctant in not signing the letter of the "eight".
2de Kamer Irak debat
31 januari 2003 AP
Meanwhile, the British PM Blair spoke to parliament, reporting on his visit to President Bush.
Prime Minister's statement to Parliament 3 February
And he issued another report, detailing the Iraqi secret service apparatus and the way they control the weapons inspectors and the Iraqi population. Not a very long report with little news, or it must be the security structure that Saddam has built around him.
Iraq's regime of fear and deception detailed in new report
Muslim women call for more emancipation
Muslim women are calling in public more and more for emancipation from Muslim and Arab cultures restraining them in the modern world.
In todays New York Times writer Norma Khouri is interviewed about her flied to Australia after a tragic love affair of a friend ending in her death by her father. The father killed to restore ´honour´ to his house. He got hatred.
A moving interview from Seth Mayans.
A Friendship Sundered by Muslim Code of Honor
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