BRUSSELS, Jan 29: The European Union welcomed on Wednesday a US pledge to reveal more intelligence on Iraq’s alleged illicit arms, but warned the world must do everything to avoid the “catastrophe” of a war.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, while admitting that the 15-member bloc remains deeply divided over the crisis, warned the West against slipping irrevocably towards conflict.
“The case for war must be overwhelming. So far it is not,” he told a debate on the Iraqi crisis in the European parliament.
“War ... is a dreadful prospect. There can be no excuse for slipping into war because of the dictates of logistics or the weather,” he added.
Solana was speaking after US President George Bush’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, in which he said more intelligence would be provided to the UN Security Council by Secretary of State Colin Powell on Feb 5.
Mr Bush also threatened to unleash the full force of the US military to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein from power if he does not disarm voluntarily.
The EU’s Greek presidency welcomed the announcement about more information. “We are very satisfied that such information is to be provided,” said Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou in Athens.
The EU is deeply split on the prospect of a US military campaign against Iraq with Britain unswervingly in the US camp but other EU members, notably France and Germany, demanding the UN inspectors be given more time.
Starkly demonstrating the divisions, British Prime Minister Tony Blair affirmed a link between Iraq and the Al Qaeda, in what would be seen as a key justification for action against Baghdad.
At the same time Germany, which will preside over the UN Security Council next month, insisted on Wednesday that the Iraqi crisis should be resolved at the UN. “This question must be treated in the Security Council and only there,” said Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
Despite the clear differences, Solana said the EU was united in wanting the UN Security Council to play the pivotal role in deciding the next course of action against Iraq following a progress report by chief weapons inspector Hans Blix this week.
“The centre of gravity should continue to be the Security Council .. We have to put in place all the elements in order to avoid the catastrophe of a war,” he said.
His remarks about logistics and weather were taken as a reference to the massive build up of troops already in the Gulf. Some commentators say they cannot stay there indefinitely, and would also find fighting harder the hotter the weather gets.
On Monday, papering over their differences, EU foreign ministers issued a statement welcoming the inspectors’ “intention to continue and intensify their operations”.
But reactions to the Blix report have only served to widen divisisions between EU heavyweights.
Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said on Wednesday that Paris has redoubled its efforts to rally the international community behind a common stance on the Iraqi crisis.
“We are multiplying our efforts to find a common position,” de Villepin said.
EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten also called for UN inspectors to be allowed more time to carry out their work — but admitted that this could not continue indefinitely.
“If the inspectors conclude that this is ‘mission impossible’, we cannot avoid facing up to the consequences,” he told the parliament.
Mr Solana again rebuffed hardliners who are gunning for war.
“Some say that diplomacy is for the naive and weak. Much better, say the hawks, to use force as quickly and decisively as possible, since only force will achieve results,” he said.
“I say that diplomacy must be not just the instrument of first resort, but at the centre of our efforts,” he added.—AFP