Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-09-15-Speech-3-047"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20040915.2.3-047"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, without stability in the region, society will not be reconstructed, there will be no security for investments, and without that no really peaceful development will be possible. We all know that this can be achieved only if the Iraqi people see their government as possessing an authority and legitimacy other than that lent to it by American unilateralism. That is why elections have such a major part to play, that is why the United Nations have a part to play, and that is why I was so shocked by Kofi Annan’s comment yesterday to the effect that ‘the UN can become fully involved again, can go in again, only if security is established.’ The whole thing is cyclical: if the UN does not go in, there can be no security, but if it does not go in because there is no security, that demonstrates the international community’s general helplessness in the face of the situation. I see this as a reason why we must make it clear that there can be no justification for terrorism and that we will always oppose terrorism, which is, in this case, engaged in by minorities in Iraq, and that we have to support the majority population.
At the same time, though, we have to do this through dialogue, so that terrorism does not prove to be a Hydra, with several new heads growing every time we cut one off, and we must not create breeding grounds for it. I see this as a reason for us in the European Union to do what we can. By that I mean political change, support, including in the areas that the EUR 200 million is intended to deal with, the organisation of aid, the initiation of dialogue, the building of structures out of which sustainable development can grow. This is not just about Iraq, it is about the stability of the entire region, which will determine whether there is to be a ‘clash of civilisations’, and whether we can prevent the great war between the cultures. There have been quite a few mistakes, and they have already brought us much, much closer to one.
Finally, I want to extend warm thanks to Commissioner Patten for his cooperation over the past years; perhaps there will be another opportunity for me to do so. Today, he has again made it clear that we in the West can succeed with our policies if they are combined with moral integrity. I get the feeling that our moral integrity is running low as a result of Guantanamo and much else, because of torture and all the things that are going on there. If we do not manage to have moral integrity, we will not have the credibility that is required if we are to shape this process in a reasonable way."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples