Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-03-12-Speech-3-022"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-03-12"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Iraq2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030312.1.3-022"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-03-12-Speech-3-0232
lpv:speaker	lp:Bas Belder2
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Delegation to the EU-Romania Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; EDD (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 substitute; AFCO (2002-09-25--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with the Member States of ASEAN, south-east Asia and the Republic of Korea (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 unknown; ChristenUnie - Staatkundig Gereformeerde Parti (2002-03-18--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; Delegation for relations with the United States (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, there is a bizarre contradiction in this Iraq debate. Reports are reaching me from Iraq about contacts between leading representatives of the Ba'ath regime and the Iraqi opposition. Saddam’s immediate entourage is evidently preparing itself for the fall of the ‘Republic of Fear’. As a last resort it is trying to save its own skin by announcing an uprising now in the event of an American military intervention. What, though, do I perceive within the European Union? A number of large Member States are working hard for the political status quo in Iraq. UN weapons inspections with no clear time limit are supposed to be sufficient to rein in the regime in Baghdad. On what is this great political credit that they are granting the merciless tyrant Saddam Hussein based? This irresponsible attitude taken by a number of European countries is met with manifest and widespread incomprehension on the part of the suffering Iraqi population . Equally negative is the political cost, for the time being, of the Western conflict with Iraq: serious undermining of transatlantic relations, serious division within the European Union itself and growing discord within the international community in the context of the United Nations. All because of a murderous megalomaniac who for years has simply been refusing to comply fully with UN resolutions. Such a scenario must encourage similar dictatorships to go their own way where weapons are concerned. Is there anything that the Member States of the European Union can still salvage from this divisive conflict over Iraq? I believe that there is. Firstly, they should very soon make out a case for a clear time limit on the UN inspections in Iraq, a limit that takes sufficient account of the option of armed intervention. When all is said and done, only the present increase in military power in the Gulf region is going to force Saddam Hussein into any kind of cooperation with the UN inspectors. At the same time the Member States of the European Union should finally show some concern for Iraq’s political and socio-economic future, because there really are alternatives to Saddam’s ‘Republic of Fear’. I am looking forward to initiatives from the Greek Presidency on both these issues."@en1

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