FIG LEAFERY:

Blair pushes EU leaders towards war (George Jones and Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, 18/02/2003, Daily Telegraph)

European leaders clashed with President Jacques Chirac of France last night as they toughened their stance on Iraq, agreeing that weapons inspections could not continue indefinitely without full co-operation from Saddam Hussein.

After tense discussions at an emergency summit in Brussels, they said that war was not inevitable. But for the first time they accepted that force could be used as a last resort. [...]

The deep divisions among European leaders were highlighted when M Chirac, who has taken the lead in opposing American-led military action, said there was no need at present for a second UN resolution authorising war. "We consider that war is always the worst solution," he said.

M Chirac underlined his opposition to early military action and attacked east European countries that had publicly backed American policy on Iraq.

Making a veiled threat to block their entry into the European Union, he said their behaviour was "childish and dangerous" and that they had "missed a good opportunity to keep silent".

There were angry exchanges after Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, told the summit that the Security Council would have to face its responsibilities and said that transatlantic disagreements could make it more difficult to resolve the crisis.

M Chirac intervened to say that they were talking about the "life and death" of thousands of men and women a long way from Brussels.

British officials said that Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, had argued that other EU leaders were just as concerned about life and death.

He cited September 11 and the Bali bombing and said he was worried that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction could fall into the wrong hands.

The Dutch premier, Jan Peter Balkenende, said the central issue was Iraq and its defiance.

What had happened at the UN last week, when deep divisions emerged in the Security Council, had been "a victory for Iraq".

Bertie Ahern, the Irish premier, said the authority of the United Nations was at stake.

Mr Blair urged the leaders not to wobble but to back Britain and America in threatening the use of force if Saddam Hussein did not disarm.

"If Saddam stays, Iraqis will pay with their lives," he said.

Oh gosh, look at that, sometime in March is when we reach "last resort". Posted by Orrin Judd at February 18, 2003 8:29 AM