PARIS, March 17: Although the European Union has expressed its opposition in recent weeks to a US-led incursion into Iraq, the EU is nevertheless “resigned” to an attack on Iraq, say French sources. And this in spite of the timeliness of an allied attack on Baghdad, they say.

France, which is probably the EU member country the most opposed to a US incursion into Iraq, says that most of the EU members contacted by French diplomats seemed “resigned” to a US attack on Baghdad, this in spite of the opposition most countries have expressed to the US initiative in recent weeks.

Vice President Dick Cheney has been undertaking a whirlwind tour of the Middle East in order to prepare the region for the forthcoming US initiative, saying that “this war will cease only when no terrorist group or government will any longer be a menace to peace in the world.”

Jordan’s King Abdullah II, for his part, let Cheney know that he was opposed to the US plans, indeed warned the United States that an attack on Baghdad, if undertaken now, would result in nothing less than a “disaster.”

But his attitude is quite atypical, say the French diplomatic sources, and as a whole US allies in the Middle East and in Europe tend generally to now favour an allied attack on Baghdad, although, they note, on a conditional basis. The principal condition being that expressed last week by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder who said that Germany would support the US initiative “on the express condition that the United States obtain a US mandate to undertake its attack.”

Like Tony Blair and Silvio Berlusconi, Schroeder feels that it would not be an appropriate moment for Europe to dissociate itself from a US attack, specially given the United States’ recent decision to involve itself once again diplomatically in the Middle East, indeed in taking a surprise position, very much aligned on that expressed by the EU, which has seen Washington criticize Prime Minister Sharon for the excessive violence shown in recent weeks by Tsahal in the occupied territories.

Until now, noted the French sources, many European countries had hoped that US Secretary of State Colin Powell would be able to talk President George W. Bush out of undertaking an attack on Iraq at this time, or at least in adopting a moderate position on Iraq. The US secretary of state had not hidden his disagreement in recent weeks over an allied attack on Iraq, his reasoning being very much like that of King Abdullah II, that it is not reasonable for a country to fight two wars at once.

In this case, say the sources, Mr Powell, a veteran military officer who oversaw the US military participation in the Gulf War in 1991, the United States should concentrate its attention on first winning its war in Afghanistan, and perhaps once that war is over, then consider undertaking an attack on Iraq.

As for Europe, London and Rome have let it be known that they are ready to do like Berlin and take part in a US-led attack on Baghdad. France and Russia continue to remain the odd men out, but France could very well announce a qualified decision to support the US effort, but on the condition that Baghdad first go on the record and refuse the unconditional application of the various United Nations resolutions concerning itself, notably those concerning the return to Iraq of UN inspectors.

A French diplomat notes that “otherwise, there is really nothing to negotiate with Iraq.” As for Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, he let it be known last week that as far as he was concerned, “France’s response should be guided by a sense of prudence. Iraq must respect its international obligations as well as the sanctions and the inspection of his armaments. The problem is how we should go about doing all of this. We just can’t come up with a solution that would result in a situation much worse than what is presently happening in Iraq.”

Jospin, as well as sources close to President Jacques Chirac, has also expressed the desire that the US think of postponing its possible attack on Iraq until later in the spring, when French presidential elections are over and done with. President Chirac, who has not hidden a tendency to support President Bush, would prefer not being pushed into a position that might be utilized as an electoral agreement by Jospin who, himself, has expressed less sympathy for the US foreign policy, indeed is known to have expressed doubt over the soundness of France’s recent decision to participate in the US-led allied attack on Afghanistan.