From al-Retuers:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to give allies in Europe a response next week to their pressure over Washington's treatment of terrorism suspects: back off.
The European Union has demanded that Washington address the allegations to allay fears of illegal U.S. practices. The concerns are rampant in among the European public and parliaments, already critical of U.S. prisoner-abuse scandals in Iraq
My questions regarding paragraph 2 here...when the article refers to "The European Union", is it referrring to the collective thought of the elected leaders of the nations making up the EU, or the non-elected representitives of these countries whom serve the EU in Brussels?
And when it claims "The concerns are rampant in among the European public and parliaments"; are they referring to any particular polls they have seen of the European public which declare these accusations to be a "rampant concern"? Or are they just echoing the words of leftists within European governments, whose continued blasting away at America is a mere smokescreen to hide the social/economic/racial problems within their own borders?
I'm asking, of course, because al-Reuters does not qoute a single source behind those demands; as usual, all anti-Americanism is taken at face value, while American 'claims" are always taken with a grain of salt.
But the positive within this piece is that Bush's people have finally gotten it through their heads that this poisonous European/Media alliance is just as dangerous to American interests as a terrorist with a suicide belt:
"It's very clear they want European governments to stop pushing on this," said a European diplomat, who had contact with U.S. officials over the handling of the scandals. "They were stuck on the defensive for weeks, but suddenly the line has toughened up incredibly," the diplomat said.
Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern said Rice told him in Washington she expected allies to trust that America does not allow rights abuses -- a sign she will avoid giving Europe a detailed response on U.S. intelligence work.
And she pointedly did not give Ahern a personal assurance Ireland has not been used for secret prisoner transfers because he had already heard that denial from the U.S. ambassador, a senior State Department official said.
And finally, the onus to defend their actions is thrust back onto the quisling governments of Europe:
"It is the responsibility, also, of governments to explain as clearly as possible to their publics and publics around the world what it is that they are doing in fighting the war on terrorism," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
And Rice is just the gal to do it:
Rice began the year on her first foreign trip as secretary of state wooing European allies with a charm offensive that set a new tone for relations after disputes over Iraq.
But the top diplomat from the sole superpower can also get tough with her European counterparts.
U.S. diplomats recount how her successful stance against EU plans to lift an arms embargo against China unnerved Europeans, as she sternly told them not to sell weapons that could end up being aimed at U.S. forces in Asia.
One foreign minister spilled his drink when she delivered that warning over coffee in Brussels, a senior U.S. official said.
If they spill their java over a stern warning from Condi, it is no surprise they get on their boot-licking knees when the jihadis come their way...fey and feckless are these European lords...
Link to al-Reuters article here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051203/wl_nm/security_europe_rice_dc
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