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European conservatives support Bush on pre-emptive military force
October 11, 2002 12:00 AM
The right-wing European political group of Spanish prime minister Aznar, and Italian prime minister Berlusconi, with whom the British Tories are associated in the European Parliament, has refused to accept that military responses to terrorist threats should be subject to the rule of international law.
Baroness Sarah Ludford, European spokeswoman on Justice and Home Affairs for the Liberal Democrats said after the vote in the European Parliament on EU anti-terrorism strategy since 9/11:
"This shocking move by European conservative (EPP) MEPs is presumably in order to keep in line with President Bush and his hawkish advisors in Washington who want to be free to launch pre-emptive military strikes on Iraq outside the ambit of the UN Security Council or the self-defence provisions of the UN Charter."
"It is a pity that the chance of a European Parliament consensus in fighting the threat of terrorism has been undermined by the opposition of the EPP to a reference to compliance with international law alongside the reference to respect for fundamental rights."
"I am glad that the Liberal Group's suggestions were followed in both the Civil Liberties and the Foreign Affairs Committees to stress the need for dialogue between peoples and between European citizens of all communities and to head off the risk of fulfilling the doom-merchants' predictions of a 'clash of civilisations'."
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