OLD AND NEW EUROPE
Faced with a blunt opposition to war before the end of the weapons inspection from France and Germany, US Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld wrote them off as 'Old Europe' in favour of a 'New Europe' that was more supportive of US goals:
'You're thinking of Europe as Germany and France. I don't,' he told reporters. 'I think that's old Europe. If you look at the entire Nato Europe today, the centre of gravity is shifting to the east and there are a lot of new members.'
New Nato members include Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland, while Bulgaria, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia and Romania are invited to join in 2004. Nato's rush to the East has left many asking what it is for. Once a military alliance to prevent invasion coming from, or at least through, these very countries, today its expansion seems to have little to do with fighting a war. Some of the new nations have little more to offer Nato than a dog-team.
But Nato's eastward expansion does offer a diplomatic advantage to the US. At a time when her 'Old European' allies are dragging their feet, these new East European Nato members are more likely to support action against Iraq. Their votes at the United Nations give the semblance of international unity to a campaign that has done more to highlight great power divisions.
America's pitch to the East is well-prepared. Near Urosevac, southern Kosovo 4680 US troops occupy the 775 acre city Camp Bondsteel (named after a Vietnam Hero), complete with Burger King, a Chapel and three recreation centres - some compensation for the loss of US bases in Germany at the end of the Cold War.
America's appeal to eastern Europe takes advantage of the frosty reception given those countries by the European Union. As the post-cold war geography of Europe emerged, American leaders have used East Europe as leverage against West Europe. Though American aid is small, it was still a welcome contrast to the EU's modest approach. Britain and America both pressured the European Union to enlarge eastwards - not because they wanted Europe stronger, but because they hoped that swallowing up the economically weaker eastern states would give the EU indigestion.
Now the pitch to the East has taken on the character of a contest for influence, with many the same East European countries that are joining Nato, candidate members of the European Union. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia join Cyprus and Malta on the list. The costs for the European Union are potentially high, with the wealthier EU countries bearing some of the cost of supporting the bloated agricultural sectors of the applicants. In turn, Europe's stable monetary system will offer some stability to the applicants.
More than securing future oil supplies, the contest between America and Europe over world influence is driving the current conflict with Iraq. Though superficially it seems that Europe is putting the brakes on American ambitions, by raising the stakes France and Germany are making it more important than ever for the US to win out over the use of force. Historians may remember the territorial focus of the conflict more vital in eastern Europe than the Middle East.
THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE
'We do not act against Islam. The true followers of Islam are our brothers and sisters in this struggle' Tony Blair told the Labour Party conference in October 2001. The following month he told the Lord Mayor's Banquet 'Soon George [Carey] and I hope to convene a seminar of scholars on furthering Christian-Muslim dialogue'. To distance the government from any anti-Islamic sentiment, the police put guards outside many mosques including the recently built Finsbury Park mosque. Last week the police were back to raid the mosque, seizing such weapons as CS gas canisters and starter pistols, and seizing documents.
The raid coincides with a dramatic intervention by the Charities Commission to remove radical cleric Abu Hamza from the mosque's trustees. Meanwhile the Sun newspaper has sent Hamza - who they call 'Captain Hook' in reference to his missing hand - a one-way ticket to Egypt. Hamza, daily denounced as a terrorist in the press, complains that he has offered himself for questioning to the police many times since the raid, only to be rebuffed.
It was unlikely that the government would be able to separate the 'war against terror' from a conflict between Muslims in Britain and the state. Successive police raids on mostly Algerian asylum seekers have found a handful of crackpots, but led to the fatal stabbing of one police constable by a prisoner. As reported previously in the WEEK racial attacks against Muslims near to the Finsbury Park mosque have increased with the growing insecurity about terror attacks.
-- James Heartfield
http://www.heartfield.demon.co.uk/james1.htm