Europeans Look to Soften 'War' Talk

By ELAINE GANLEY
.c The Associated Press

 
PARIS (AP) - European leaders sought to reassure their citizens Friday that they will not lash out blindly at other countries despite their pledge to back the United States in its fight against terrorists.

``The mad creatures who committed these terrible crimes this week may have hoped to provoke us into mindless revenge in order to create even more devastation,'' Lord Robertson, the NATO secretary-general, said in Macedonia. ``They are wrong.''

The 15-member European Union said Friday it would work on measures such as unified arrest warrants and extradition orders, and bolstering countries' common foreign and security policies to help fight terrorism.

However, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, who led his Cabinet in a Europe-wide three-minute moment of silence, said, ``We are not at war against Islam or the Arab-Muslim world.''

Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, speaking on RTL radio in France, said that the EU is ``on watch'' and ``mobilized,'' but he added, ``We are not at war.''

The remarks, coupled with similar statements elsewhere, suggested growing concern that retaliation for the attacks not plunge the West into a full-blown crisis.

President Bush has repeatedly used the word ``war'' in describing the situation created by the attacks. ``We have just seen the first war of the 21st century,'' he said Thursday.

European leaders were clearly keen on avoiding such bellicose language.

The Tuesday attacks ``call for very strong words, but I don't think we should be extreme,'' the Belgian foreign minister cautioned.

``I think the Americans will reply in an intelligent manner, in a very targeted manner, and won't be irrational,'' Michel said. ``They will feel this responsibility to have an appropriate reaction, all the more so because Europe has shown this great solidarity.''

His words echoed those Thursday by German Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping, who urged a ``measured'' response to the U.S. terrorist attacks and warned against hysteria.

Some officials of Germany's Green Party, a member of the governing coalition, and some members of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democratic Party have also expressed concern.

Michel said there was ``no confusion'' about European participation in a riposte because the North Atlantic Treaty ``clearly indicates that if a state is attacked, the others ... must help it.''

Now, he said, each country ``must measure its capacity to contribute.''

``We are confronted with a terrorist threat that is real ... and because of that we must be totally mobilized,'' he said.

Jospin added in his comments to his Cabinet that French ``human, political and functional solidarity (with the United States) does not deprive us of our free appreciation of our sovereignty.''

No great surprise, we have always taken care of ourselves.

at least Canada is pledging military support to its own capacity. Our military may be small here in Canada, but we enjoy kicking ass!

although i hope to god if we use ground troops we use the new desert cadpat instead of green combats.

[img]http://www.dnd.ca/menu/Operations/PastOps/unmee/images/13jun01/ISD01-3108a.jpg[/img]

I say if you're not with us....  you must be against us.  KILL 'EM TOO!

Hopefully the Canadians will leave the pothead contgent behind as homeguards.

I hope that nobody was holding their breath for Europe to help.  Our brothers and neighbors up north are down for some butt-kicking with us, and that shows that they have more cojones than any other country.  Time to find out exactly who did this, who helped them, and turn some hideouts into parkinglots.
Ice

Did any of you see PM Blair speaking to Parliament? He was REAL clear that the UK would support us militarily as well.

And don't get me started about the F*cking french.

Same over here people, PM said art 5 does include giving military aid if called upon. But he did say isn't a blank cheque.

You have to realize that Europe isn't under a federal government, every leader will try to maneuvre trough his electoral populace.

In most cases, the people in Europe are as outraged over these attacks as anybody.

Kuiper

Well, they are not.....  But We are and what would France have to offer anyway?  Who needs them.  But it will affect them in the long run.  Even during WWII they were all but worthless.  Most there were some good ones but as a whole.  You look it up.[frag]

Why do you think all those MAS rifles have never been fired and have knicks on the stocks from being dropped while the frogs ran for cover.

Most importantly all of the true fighters from France are now in Louisiana. Just a thought. They left the cowards behind to tend the land while they forged ahead and founded New Orleans and numerous other French outposts.