E.U. Warns Iraq It Faces 'Last Chance'

[Queasy]

Link

European leaders united Monday behind a strongly worded declaration affirming solidarity with the United States and warning Saddam Hussein that Iraq faces one "last chance" to disarm peacefully.

"Baghdad should have no illusions. ... The Iraqi regime alone will be responsible for the consequences if it continues to flout the will of the international community," 15 European Union leaders said in a joint declaration.

The leaders gave strong backing for the U.S. and British demand for swift action to disarm Iraq, giving the American military buildup in the Persian Gulf credit for forcing Saddam to work with U.N. weapons inspectors.

© 2003 The Associated Press

 

[MacBaine]

Good

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: MacBaine
Good

 

[Tallgeese]

It's about damn time!

 

[XZeroII]

I thought they didn't have any weapons to begin with? That's why the weapons inspectors are over there. Talk about conflicting stories...

 

[ToBeMe]

This is a good move for the EU and the US.....................a move that was anticipated but still good!

 

[spidey07]

Very interesting...so after a huge protest the EU uses strong words.

hmmmmmm

 

[OS]

also on excite

It's good to hear.

I don't really think war is a good idea, but protesting and bitching about war does nothing except condone what Iraq is doing and only buys Iraq more time. Keep the pressure up.

 

[Czar]

very strange, or not though, how this is presented in the news in the US and in Europe, its like its two different things

here the talk is that the EU agrees that weapon inspection should go on and that force should only be used as a last resort

 

[FrontlineWarrior]

is this last chance #103 or 104? i lost count...

 

[ToBeMe]

Originally posted by: Czar
very strange, or not though, how this is presented in the news in the US and in Europe, its like its two different things

here the talk is that the EU agrees that weapon inspection should go on and that force should only be used as a last resort

hey Czar...............how goes it?

Anyhoo.........here's the BBC headline............................

• EU moves to heal Iraq divisions
  EU leaders end an emergency summit on Iraq by agreeing force would be a last resort but arms inspections cannot continue indefinitely.

Straightforward and direct......now they simply need to put a definative date on things IMHO.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Queasy
Link

European leaders united Monday behind a strongly worded declaration affirming solidarity with the United States and warning Saddam Hussein that Iraq faces one "last chance" to disarm peacefully.

"Baghdad should have no illusions. ... The Iraqi regime alone will be responsible for the consequences if it continues to flout the will of the international community," 15 European Union leaders said in a joint declaration.

The leaders gave strong backing for the U.S. and British demand for swift action to disarm Iraq, giving the American military buildup in the Persian Gulf credit for forcing Saddam to work with U.N. weapons inspectors.

© 2003 The Associated Press

Do they mean it this time?

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: FrontlineWarrior
is this last chance #103 or 104? i lost count...

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: ToBeMe

Originally posted by: Czar
very strange, or not though, how this is presented in the news in the US and in Europe, its like its two different things

here the talk is that the EU agrees that weapon inspection should go on and that force should only be used as a last resort

hey Czar...............how goes it?

Anyhoo.........here's the BBC headline............................

• EU moves to heal Iraq divisions
  EU leaders end an emergency summit on Iraq by agreeing force would be a last resort but arms inspections cannot continue indefinitely.

Straightforward and direct......now they simply need to put a definative date on things IMHO.

just from that and from the local tv news

 

[Bulk Beef]

The declaration by 15 European Union leaders including French President Jacques Chirac gave firm backing for the U.S. and British demand for swift action to disarm Iraq.

Holy F**king Sh*t!!

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: XZeroII
I thought they didn't have any weapons to begin with? That's why the weapons inspectors are over there. Talk about conflicting stories...

You are a little mixed up, Iraq declared in a 12,000 page document the weapons it posessed, none of which they claimed were against the previous U.N. resolution. Recently the Inspectors have found weapons that violate the resolution. The problem here is appeasement. The UN makes a tough resolution banning certain weapons, and then when Iraq posesses them, they say we should just send more inspectors, they are skirting the issue, which is unfortunate. France is a lot closer to Iraq than the US, just like France is a lot closer to Germany...

 

[Evadman]

Explosives solve all problems. if they are not workin, you are not using enough.

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: sward666

The declaration by 15 European Union leaders including French President Jacques Chirac gave firm backing for the U.S. and British demand for swift action to disarm Iraq.

Holy F**king Sh*t!!

Its official. The body snatching aliens have landed

 

[UltraQuiet]

Originally posted by: Czar
very strange, or not though, how this is presented in the news in the US and in Europe, its like its two different things

here the talk is that the EU agrees that weapon inspection should go on and that force should only be used as a last resort

Czar please enlighten us. How is this thing being spun in the European press. I am confused why it appears (in the US press) there is some sudden change of heart. Maybe SnapIT or some of the other European poster could fill us in also.


Here's a BBC link that is more in-depth

BBC

 

[Chadder007]

Originally posted by: XZeroII
I thought they didn't have any weapons to begin with? That's why the weapons inspectors are over there. Talk about conflicting stories...

Yeah, they also threatened us with their non-existant Chemical Weapons ......

 

[Lithium381]

Originally posted by: Tallgeese
It's about damn time!

finally!

 

[exp]

The declaration by 15 European Union leaders including French President Jacques Chirac gave firm backing for the U.S. and British demand for swift action to disarm Iraq.

Interesting...looks like the French learned their lesson from last week's NATO debacle. I guess they didn't want to see their precious baby (the EU) go down in smoke the same way NATO did.

I'm pretty underwhelmed by this declaration, though. It sounds like all the individual member nations of the EU simply decided to fake unity for a moment while not actually changing their individual positions. Not real progress, IOW.

 

[Fencer128]

Hi,

I'm pretty sure this a diplomatic stunt, to show European solidarity - despite the differences in viewpoint towards Iraq.

It doesn't change their individual stances.

In all likelihood it doesn't mean a U-turn from France/Germany/Belgium/Russia/etc....

Don't get too excited, there'll still have to be a REALLY good reason to start this war without rendering the U.N. redundant (THAT will be a BAD day for us all).

Andy

 

[SuperTool]

When is this war going to start? I thought February would be it, but now it looks more like March.

 

[Fencer128]

When is this war going to start? I thought February would be it, but now it looks more like March.

"Whenever the U.S. feels like it"

I don't think you're likely to get an authorative answer on that one. Not unless "Lifer" "DonRumsfeld" is logged on

Andy