Issue No.588
International
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30 May - 5 June 2002 Issue No.588 International |
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Out with the unilateralist overdrive
With a new deal struck between Russia and NATO, Bush has declared his European tour a triumph even amid strong public protest against US foreign policy. Anayat Durrani, in Washington, reports
Today United States President George W Bush returns from his week-long European tour on which he canvassed support for the American-led war on terrorism and signed an arms reduction treaty with Russia. Bush's four-nation tour took him to Germany, Russia, France and Italy where he met European leaders to discuss issues ranging from the Middle East crisis to trade and environment, but along the way he encountered mass protests.
Bush's trip to Europe precedes a widening rift in relations between the US and Europe. Europeans have argued that the US has too often failed to consult them in diplomatic, military and trade policies. At the top of the list of European gripes are Bush's "unilateralist overdrive", his lack of even-handedness towards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the trade dispute over the imposition of tariffs to protect the US steel industry. President Bush's State of the Union address in January set current European feelings in motion when he spoke about an "axis of evil" that included Iran, Iraq and North Korea. Many European nations viewed the speech as warlike and have voiced opposition towards US plans to impose a "regime change" in Iraq. European criticism of American foreign and domestic policy has angered some in Washington. Despite divergent global views, Bush's European tour has sought to downplay perceived tensions in US-European relations and has instead focused on maintaining support and commitment among European nations in the global war on terrorism.
Bush's first stop on his European tour was Berlin, where in anticipation of his arrival about 10,000 police officers completely sealed off a 14-block area around the Brandenburg Gate, the largest security operation organised by the Germans in post-war history. On the eve of Bush's visit, 20,000 anti-US protesters took to the streets to voice their opposition to US policies on trade, human rights, a possible US attack on Iraq, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the environment. Protesters held signs reading, "Yankee go home" and "Eat more pretzels."
During Bush's 20-hour stay in Germany, he delivered a speech at the German Bundestag, becoming the first American president to speak in the newly refurbished Reichstag. Bush told the German parliament on Thursday that the terrorists the US is pursuing represented a "new totalitarian threat", a statement that was a direct reference to Hitler, and called on European allies to transform NATO into a force to fight terrorism. "In this war, we defend not just America or Europe. We are defending civilisation itself," he told the German Bundestag. "If we ignore this threat, we invite certain blackmail and place millions of our citizens in great danger." A few German deputies heckled his 30-minute speech and former communists held up a banner that read "Bush and Schroeder, stop your wars." During a news conference with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, he promised to consult Germany and other allies before taking action against Iraq and insisted there were "no war plans on my desk." However, Bush called Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein "a threat to civilisation" and emphasised the need to "deal with" Iraq. He did not back away from his view that the United States had to confront the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction by Iran, Iraq and North Korea. "Call it, as I do, the axis of evil, call it by any name you choose, but let us speak the truth," he declared. He added: "We must confront this conspiracy against our liberty and against our lives."
Bush's second stop on his European tour was Russia, where before his arrival on Friday hundreds of communists and leftists demonstrated at the US embassy.
Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a landmark 10-year treaty to cut US and Russian nuclear arms to 1,700 to 2,200 each, down from 5,000 to 6,000. President Bush called it a new chapter in relations between the Russians and Americans, a relationship which has warmed since the 11 September terror attacks in the US. Bush said the treaty served to "cast aside old doubts and suspicions and welcome a new era." After the signing of the treaty Bush said it was a "historic and hopeful day", and added, "It liquidates the legacy of the Cold War and the nuclear confrontation of our countries." Bush also urged Russia to halt its nuclear assistance to Iran. Russia is helping Iran build a nuclear reactor in Bushehr but insists that the facility is only a civilian reactor. During his talks with Putin, Bush brought up the possibility of introducing international inspectors into Iran to determine if it is using the nuclear reactor to build its nuclear weapons programme.
Then it was on to France, where Bush met French President Jacques Chirac to discuss the US-led war on terrorism, the tension between India and Pakistan, the Middle East, and trade relations between Europe and the United States. During his meeting with Bush, Chirac voiced French and EU concerns about what they perceived as American unilateralism. Bush sought to play down perceived differences between France and the US ranging from Middle East policy to issues of US tariffs on steel imports and new subsidies for American farmers. Chirac said he confronted Bush with the "very real issues" of US farm subsidies and steel tariffs.
About 5,000 people marched through central Paris to protest against Bush's two-day visit to France and raise their voices against American domestic and foreign policy. Marchers shouted "Bush, you are the terrorist!" and banners read, "Bush, Blair, Sharon: the axis of evil," while others burned American flags. There were also protests in Caen, near the Normandy beaches, the site of the D-Day landings and World War II cemeteries, where Bush spent Memorial Day to honour American troops who died during the war. The president also visited Sainte-Mère-Eglise, the first French town liberated from the Germans by US troops. During the visit, he spoke about the sacrifices made to fight Nazi Germany and made reference to the American-led war on terrorism. "It is fitting that we remember those who sacrificed, because today we defend our freedoms against people who can't stand freedom," he said in a brief statement outside Sainte-Mère-Eglise church.
Bush will conclude his European trip with a final stop in Rome where he will meet another key European ally, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, to muster European support for his war on terrorism. In Rome he will sign a new order creating the Russia-NATO Council, which will for the first time give Russia a voice in alliance decision-making. Bush will meet Pope John Paul II at the Vatican before returning home to Washington.
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