ATHENS, Feb 4: The European Union said on Tuesday it could join a last gasp Arab peace mission to Baghdad and also stepped up efforts for an emergency EU summit to sort out splits in its Iraq policy.

But even as EU president Greece worked the telephones to put together a summit, the division between so-called Old Europe and New Europe over when time would run out for Saddam Hussein widened and became more visible.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Washington’s hawkish EU ally on Iraq and in the “New Europe” bloc, failed to win French backing for an early war at a summit the two countries’ leaders held on Tuesday in France’s seaside resort of Le Touquet.

President Jacques Chirac insisted U.N. arms inspectors should be given all the time and resources needed to disarm Iraq peacefully.

Foreign Minister George Papandreou of Greece said he received the same message from Arab leaders who are rushing to put together their own summit that would back more time for U.N. weapons inspectors.—Reuters