Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-02-12-Speech-3-185"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-02-12"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Situation in Iraq2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030212.5.3-185"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-02-12-Speech-3-1862
lpv:speaker	lp:Marianne Thyssen2
lpv:spokenAs	member_of_the_bureau; EPP-ED (1999-10-12--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with Canada (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Christen-Democratisch & Vlaams (2001-10-01--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Poland Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-03-07--2004-04-30)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, we all know that the European population is clear about what it wants. It wants a peaceful solution to the conflict in Iraq. I assume that our Heads of Government also have that in view, all of them. The question to which the European population would like to hear an answer from its leaders goes without saying. It is the question as to whether all means have been employed to avert war in Iraq, and/or the scope for diplomacy has been completely exhausted, before a decision is taken to proceed with military action. These days, there is a lot of criticism of the United States to be heard, and criticism is not a crime, of course, provided that, as our group leader just said, one does not confuse cause and effect. But criticism of the United States will not suffice these days in Europe: we must also have the courage to do some soul-searching ourselves. We are then faced with the question as to whether Europe has done its best for diplomacy in that 5 out of 15 or 8 out of 25 countries have taken up their own position, away from the others. We must also ask ourselves whether our diplomatic power of persuasion has been strengthened when three countries take decisions that do not even anticipate a decision to go to war, but which do put solidarity within NATO out of kilter. They are all serious questions. If crises are opportunities, and let us hope that they are, I think that we should perhaps calmly wait to hear what the weapons inspectors have to tell us on Friday in the Security Council, and I think that we should be happy that on Monday we have a European summit. We should encourage them not only to deliberate but also to reach clear, unanimous conclusions. We should encourage the Security Council to take decisions that do what has to be done in Iraq, but in such a way that the cure is not worse than the disease. In the long term, we must not lose hope, and we must keep pushing, in the Convention, for decision-making mechanisms which make an effective foreign and security policy possible and which also give us a military footing, such that we acquire power and become a worthy and valuable partner of the United States within NATO and the United Nations."@en1

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