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EU Fumbles on Defense, Afghanistan http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011214/wl/eu_summit_dc_7.html Friday December 14 9:37 AM ET By Paul Taylor >BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders fumbled over whether to put a European flag on a peacekeeping force for Afghanistan as anarchist violence flared outside their end-of-year summit on Friday. Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, announced triumphantly that the 15-nation bloc had decided to create its first multinational force to pacify Afghanistan after the U.S.-led war. Calling it ``a turning point in the history of the European Union,'' he told a news conference that the force, to involve all 15 EU member states, would number between 3,000 and 4,000. But other EU ministers swiftly contradicted him, saying the bloc was in no position to organize any military operation and that only some individual member states would take part in a U.N.-authorized peace mission led by Britain. German, Austrian and British officials denied any knowledge of an agreement to establish a joint EU force, suggesting Michel might be seeking a pan-European veneer for members' efforts. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer told reporters: ''Even if we wanted to, we could not do it as we are not as far as we need to be with the (defense) structures. No, no. This is an issue that will be handled in the (U.N.) Security Council.'' Underlining their lack of collective military readiness, the EU leaders did not manage to finalize an agreement on securing assured access to NATO planning resources for their embryonic rapid reaction force on Friday. Greece was still pressing for assurances on an EU agreement with non-member Turkey. VIOLENCE Outside the Laeken royal palace, a demonstration by several thousand anti-globalization activists degenerated into violence. Masked anarchists attacked two banks and a police station about two miles from the summit site. ``Good for the rich, bad for the poor. We don't want your capitalist war,'' they chanted. Witnesses said the anarchists, some in black with heavy boots and speaking German, smashed bank windows with cobblestones and metal staves, and rammed a metal crash barrier through the windows of a police station. Riot squads took up positions in side streets but did not immediately intervene as the rioters wrecked three parked cars along the march route. The summit's main business is to launch a constitutional reform drive, summoning a Convention on the Future of Europe to draft proposals for treaty changes. Diplomats said European socialist and social democratic leaders, determined to prevent former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing from heading the convention, were pressing outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok to make himself available. Meeting in the heavily guarded marble splendor of the palace, famed for its giant greenhouses, the 15 leaders were to start with a review of their anti-terrorism action plan and global trouble spots from the Middle East to Afghanistan. Since September 11, the EU has rushed through measures including a pan-European arrest warrant, common definition of terrorism and joint list of terror organizations. FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR EURO The leaders were also to review final preparations for the introduction of euro notes and coins on January 1 -- the biggest peacetime logistical operation in history. The smooth introduction of the currency in 12 states will test the bloc's credibility amidst widespread doubt about the EU, reflected in referendum defeats in Denmark and Ireland. European Parliament President Nicole Fontaine hailed the introduction of the single currency as a ``peaceful revolution'' that would affect more than 300 million people. A shift this week by Italy meant leaders were able to announce agreement on a Europe-wide arrest warrant to sweep away lengthy extradition procedures between member states. But Umberto Bossi, firebrand leader of Italy's Northern League and a government minister, said on Thursday he thought it unlikely the warrant would ever come into force in Italy. Fontaine pledged that the European Parliament would approve the measure at a special session next Monday, but warned EU leaders not to use the fight against terrorism ``as a pretext to water down the protection of individual rights and freedoms.'' While pledging renewed commitment to economic reforms, EU leaders are expected to tiptoe around the sensitive interest rate issue, according to a draft statement seen by Reuters. The draft says ``monetary policy has reacted to reduced risks to price stability by lowering interest rates'' but avoids calling for more cuts, as many governments want. ________________________________ Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2001 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
