December 16, 2001	Sunday	Ramazan 30, 1422

LAEKEN, Belgium, Dec 15: British Prime Minister Tony Blair has forced the European Union to drop a drafted warning to Washington not to extend its self-declared war on terrorism beyond Afghanistan, EU sources said Saturday.

A draft document submitted to 15 EU leaders at a summit here had insisted that there should be no extension of the military campaign to other countries without international agreement.

“Approval of the international community must be sought prior to any geographical extension of those operations,” the draft said, before Blair stepped in and blocked the statement.

Britain is seen as Washington’s closest ally in it’s war on terrorism, with Blair carrying out a tireless round of shuttle diplomacy since the September 11 attacks to rally support for the US-led campaign.

US President George W. Bush has repeatedly said the current campaign against Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network is just the beginning of a US-led “war against terrorism.”

Pentagon sources have suggested further action against targets and organisations accused of terrorist activity or complicity could include Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Last week, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan also warned Washington against an extension of the campaign, saying that the use of offensive military force should be confined to Afghanistan and not involve Somalia. He has insisted too that an attack on Iraq “could lead to a major escalation in the region.”—AFP