THE ORPHANHOOD OF DEFEAT

No takers as 'old Europe' goes ahead with summit (Philip Delves Broughton, 29/04/2003, Daily Telegraph)

The four European countries most hostile to the war in Iraq meet in Brussels today to rekindle plans for a European defence force to rival Nato and show America that "old Europe" is down but not out.

France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, dubbed old Europe by Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, invited other European Union countries to attend, but found no takers.

Critics say the summit bears no relation to the realities of an expanding Europe in which several new members put far more trust in Nato, which helped free them from the Soviet Union, than a still undefined Franco-German scheme.

If power is an aphrodisiac, this meeting gives off the scent of saltpeter. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 28, 2003 10:25 PM