America's effortful fence mending with Europe

Still it is premature to make any positive assessment on President Bush's first ever visit to European countries since assumption of presidency for the second term on January 20 in an effort to mend relations with 'natural allies' strained by differences in the wake of America's unilateral decision to invade Iraq in 2003.

President Saddam Hussein may have passed from Iraq, but peace, security and stability would continue to elude the Middle East until its most pressing dispute is resolved. A resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a sensible starting point because it remains as the Arab-Israeli antagonism and its elimination would certainly provide new momentum to regional arms control initiatives that are otherwise untenable. Bush administration ignored European criticism of its Middle East policy. Lately, it might have realised its follies.

Both President Bush and new Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice have emphasised the importance to resolve this conflict by moving towards establishing two states -- Israel and Palestine. President Bush expressed optimism toward achieving peace in the Middle East while talking to his counterparts in Europe, but assailing Syria and Iran. Apparently Bush administration has succeeded in involving NATO for training Iraqi military and policing their country. This is the only area where Bush administration has won. But, this is one of the issues which have caused differences between America and Europe. Some of the others are: President Bush has imposed his own opinion about the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon while displaying little willingness to care about the world public opinion. The same is the case at the time of invasion of Iraq. Bush administration did not pay any heed to the cries of outrage from European allies as America interpreted its own interests and the interests of the world in its own way. Bush administration walked away from Kyoto treaty on climate change, which all European countries ratified.

Moreover, Bush administration did not recognise International Criminal Court in the Hague set up to investigate and prosecute individuals accused of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes. It was approved by 120 countries in the world. Bush administration, on the other hand, succeeded in signing bilateral immunity agreement with 96 countries, which undermines the importance of the court. Major powers in Europe, including Britain, Germany and France opposed such agreement. A UN commission of inquiry compiled a report on the crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed in Darfur, Sudan. It recommended that the Security Council should refer the matter to the International Criminal Court for prosecution, but Bush Administration has been lobbying to block a prosecution of Sudanese officials and instead it signaled to set up a regional court like war crimes tribunal for Rwanda.

On top of these, President Bush holds diametrically opposite views on the issue of lifting arms embargo against China by European Union. At a joint Press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on February 22 President Bush expressing deep concern of America on lifting the ban said it would change the balance of relations between China and Taiwan. In a dramatic resolution before his departure for Europe the House of Representatives gave warning to Europe by saying that the United States and Europe should cooperate at the governmental and industrial level. It said lifting the embargo would necessitate limitations and constraints in these relationships that would be unwelcome on both sides of the Atlantic. This resolution appears to strengthen hands of the President to negotiate with European countries. The arms embargo was imposed by European Union following China's 1989 crackdown on unarmed pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

Leaders of Europe also differed with President Bush on Iran's nuclear weapons programme. They preferred diplomacy to resolve any problem that might have cropped up in Iran. However, President Bush ruled out invasion of Iran, but he keeps his option open.

President Bush's visit to Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Slovakia and meeting with the leaders of those countries as well as with those of France, Britain, Italy, Russia and Ukraine did not bring any appreciable change in the attitude of European leaders towards Bush administration as can be assumed from the comments of Javier Solana, European Union Foreign Policy Chief, who is stated to have expressed pessimism about Iraq's future. Russian President Putin, a friend of President Bush on war on terror, did not subscribe to the prescription of introducing democracy in Russia. Over and above, Canadian Premier, Paul Martin opted out of America's missile defence shield programme. This decision of Canada would further deteriorate strained relations between the two neighbours.

President Bush's message relating to "set aside the difference and to move forward in areas where we can work together" did not have any impact, so to say. America's allies were angered in 2003 by Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's reference to them as "Old Europe" as well as that of the comments by Condoleezza Rice, then National Security Advisor, who is stated to have said to forgive Russia, ignore Germany and punish France following blockade of US-UK sponsored resolution in the Security Council seeking approval to invade Iraq.

President Bush's unpopularity in Europe as a result of America's invasion of

Iraq has been reflected again in big demonstrations on the streets of Brussels and Mainz in Germany. Protesters demanded President Bush to go back. Protest demonstration was also held in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The North Atlantic Treaty organisation (NATO) remains the only institutional link between America and transatlantic allies as of now. With the emergence of unified Europe she would speak with one voice. The main idea behind the movement for European integration was that unless Europe begins to speak in one voice, it would slide into irrelevance.

Over a period of time NATO would loose its importance as European countries are going ahead with their planning of operation programme in spite of objection by American administration. The visit has been the manifestation of Bush administration's willingness to forge ahead with European partners in spreading 'freedom, democracy and rule of law' throughout the world. The fact remains that democracy is absent in America itself, which has been demonstrated in the last two Presidential elections. America's Electoral College system itself is undemocratic as it undermines basic principle of democracy: one man one vote.

President Bush's success or failure in his fence mending trip to Europe is reflected in the comments of François Heisbourg, Director of International Foundation for Strategic Studies in Paris, as reported by the Washington Post of February 24, that "the division created by the Iraq war had also changed the dynamic within Europe, with officials trying to form a more unified front on key issues. There is no longer an Atlantic partnership."

Mohammad Amjad Hossain, a former diplomat, now resides in Virginia, USA.