In this issue:

Italian Parliamentary Press Agency Covers 'LaRouche Doctrine'

Berlin Hosts Diplomatic Events Related to Southwest Asia

Spanish Prime Minister's Makes First State Visit to Morocco

Zapatero Embraces 'European Option'

Spain's Prime Minister Meets with Chirac in Paris

French President Addresses 300 Journalists on Iraq Exit

NATO Nixes Wider Iraq Role Under Current Conditions

Britain Sees No Need for More Troops to Iraq

Two More Iraq Coalition Partners May Soon Pull Out

From Volume 3, Issue Number 18 of Electronic Intelligence Weekly, Published May 4, 2004

Western European News Digest

Italian Parliamentary Press Agency Covers 'LaRouche Doctrine'

The official press agency of the Italian Parliament, Agenparl, featured key elements of Lyndon H. LaRouche's "LaRouche Doctrine" for Southwest Asia. Agenparl, published in Rome and distributed to all Italian government and parliamentary offices, has covered LaRouche's "proposal for action" for Iraq under the title, "Bush adopts the doctrine of the Democrat LaRouche to overcome the impasse in Iraq."

Agenparl wrote: "A few days after the circulation of the "LaRouche Doctrine," the Bush Administration announced a shift, that is, an inversion of the de-Ba'athification policy till now followed in Iraq. Paul Bremer decided to reintegrate Iraqi generals and to reconstitute the Army. The need to rebuild the Iraqi armed forces is a central aspect of the proposal of Lyndon LaRouche." The report continues almost verbatim, on the "LaRouche Doctrine" and LaRouche's recent TV interview with Hussein Askari.

Berlin Hosts Diplomatic Events Related to Southwest Asia

German Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder met with visiting Israeli President Moshe Katsav, and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sheik Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, April 28, which was followed by a meeting another meeting with the "Road Map Four": the United States, United Nations, Russia, and the European Union in Berlin.

Schroeder also discussed the Israel-Palestine and Iraq situations with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, whom he met for the inauguration of the German-Turkish Trade Chamber in Cologne, April 27. From the Israeli and Jewish organizations' side, numerous senior officials attending the OSCE international conference on anti-Semitism, hosted by the German Foreign Ministry, will confer with German and European officials on this occasion.

In Brussels, April 27, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov conferred on Iraq and the Israeli-Palestine conflict with three leading European union politicians: EU Commission envoys Patten and Solana, as well as Irish Foreign Minister Cowen. (rap)

Spanish Prime Minister's Makes First State Visit to Morocco

Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero was warmly received on his first official overseas visit to Morocco, April 24, to underline Spain's determination to open a new chapter in the bilateral relations, El Pais reported April 25. The Prime Minister was received in an extremely cordial atmosphere by Moroccan King Mohammed VI in Casablanca.

Their joint communique said that their six-hour meeting served to "inaugurate a new era of profound understanding and bilateral cooperation." Both agreed that the principal issues of the "new strategic relations" will be their common fight against terrorism, in favor of a policy of mutually beneficial development. The Moroccan King announced that he will visit Spain before this summer. The two also agreed to "avoid" at all costs, a return to the tensions which Spain and Morocco had undergone in recent years. In their press conference, Zapatero, referred to the "new era" in bilateral strategic relations, saying: "We must agree on common objectives and common progress. The King stressed the dialogue between the two countries is based on "reciprocal loyalty."

The two governments have created four working groups to on the anti-terror fight, economic relations, investment, and immigration.

Zapatero Embraces 'European Option'

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's second official visit was with Germany's Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder in Berlin April 28, accompanied by his Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. In a joint press conference, Schroeder stressed that Spain would be coming back "to the heart of Europe," and will play a key role in the construction of Europe, centered around the Paris/Berlin axis. Schroeder stated, that he could imagine that in the future, under appropriate circumstances, Paris and Berlin could organize summits together with Madrid.

Zapatero underlined that "progress of the EU will be one of the fundamental tasks of the new Spanish government.... I presented to the Spanish people a 'European option.' This option is the recognition that France and Germany are the motor of the EU. For me, there is no old or new Europe, there is only one united Europe." He added that the Spain is "very grateful for the attitude Germany has always taken in recent years.

Schroeder said: "The new government seems to create a new dynamic for European integration and we noted this with great satisfaction.... I told [French President Jacques] Chirac that Spain should be integrated in the formulation of European initiatives in the future. I don't think this will be a problem.... It is perfectly possible that there would be a tripartite summit with Spain, as there was with Great Britain."

Regarding Iraq, Zapatero reiterated the will of his government not to participate "in any military, but [only] political cooperation with Iraq," and that this will be coordinated with Germany, France, and the USA. France, Spain, and Germany will move jointly in the UN Security Council to support the peace plan worked out by Lakhdar Brahimi.

Spain's Prime Minister Meets with Chirac in Paris

From Berlin, Spain's new Prime Minister Zapatero, proceeded to Paris for a meeting with French President Jacques Chirac. Chirac emphasized very positively the fact that Spain will "focus on the new European construction. This is the same focus supported by the big European countries, in particular, France and Germany." Chirac gave Zapatero a guarantee that from now on Spain will receive a different and preferential treatment as part of the German-French axis."

"One thing we decided," said Chirac, "is that from now on, we will have a constant and daily cooperation between the ministers of the three governments [Germany, France, and Spain]." Chirac noted that Spain could become a dynamic motor of peace and solidarity in the Euro-Mediterranean framework. Both statesmen stressed the need for intensive cooperation against terrorism.

French President Addresses 300 Journalists on Iraq Exit

In an April 29 press conference to 300 journalists, French President Jacques Chirac stated that there will be no solution for Iraq without a rapid transfer of responsibility to the UN, and of sovereignty to the Iraqi people. Indirectly responding to the U.S. proposal for limited sovereignty in Iraq, Chirac said: "What would be a disaster is a solution based on an ambiguity which basically goes along the line of, well, okay, the UN goes ahead, but in reality, things have not changed, and the Coalition will keep the real power."

Chirac said he was convinced that Europe will approve the proposals of special UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi concerning the formation of a provisional government in Iraq. However, he was less certain that those propositions would translate "into an international decision which is sufficiently clear and firm, so that it can be adopted by the UN Security Council and serve as the basis for a political, economic, and social reconstruction of Iraq."

"Europe would do well, if it speaks with one single voice on Iraq," Chirac said, referring to the events of last year. According to El Pais, French government sources have signalled that France will not send troops to Iraq "no matter what happens," even if the UN approves a resolution which legitimates a transitional government. The real objective is dialogue.

In background discussions, French sources expressed concern about the degradation of security conditions in Iraq, which is the result of the "grave error" committed by the Bush Administration of having dissolved the Iraqi Army. This has left 500,000 people with military training out in the streets, along with millions of family members in despair or rebellion, leading to a context which becomes more and more hostile." Bloody offensives like the one conducted in Fallujah by American forces will solve nothing. France made clear that it supports the installation of a "credible" government in Baghdad. Legitimacy can only be given by the voters.

El Pais April 30 reported that French Defense Minister Michele Alliot Marie visited Qatar, Oman, Abu Dhabi, and Jordan the previous week, to discuss how to accelerate the reconstruction of Iraq.

NATO Nixes Wider Iraq Role Under Current Conditions

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said NATO would not agree to playing a wider role in Iraq except under conditions drastically different from those at present, according to Reuters April 26. Speaking in Norway, Scheffer said, "If there is a sovereign, legitimate Iraqi government with full powers after June 30, and that government would direct a request to NATO, and if that request would be made on the basis of a new UN Security Council resolution, giving a specific mandate to a stabilization force, then I think NATO allies could enter in that discussion."

Britain Sees No Need for More Troops to Iraq

Asked if Great Britain were planning to send more troops to Iraq, as urgently requested by the Bush Administration from some country—any country—willing to do so, Bush's nearest and dearest ally, Prime Minister Tony Blair, answered that the number of British troops now deployed is deemed "sufficient." Throwing a sop to his buddy, Bush, Blair conceded that the question of troops is under constant review. Blair was joined at his April 27 London press conference by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is also facing stiff opposition at home for his support for the Iraq war on April 27 in London.

Two More Iraq Coalition Partners May Soon Pull Out

Two other participants in the "Coalition of the Willing" may soon quit the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq: Public pressure is building on Slovakia and Bulgaria. Although Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov, during a visit to Iraq this weekend, reassured the Americans that the Bulgarian contingent would stay, 13 soldiers made headlines to the contrary by quitting their service in Iraq the same weekend. Broadly covered by Bulgarian media, the 13 charge that they no longer see any sense in their mission; there is increasingly the risk of losing one's life for a meaningless mission, especially as they have not been trained, nor equipped for heavy armed clashes of the type the coalition contingents have been exposed to in recent weeks.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi has already indicated certain changes in the official position supporting the war, by declaring in Sofia on April 24, that Bulgaria is working for a new UN Security Council resolution.

In Slovakia, momentum has been building in the wake of the recent Presidential elections, won by an opposition candidate, Ivan Gasparovic, to force out the pro-Bush minority government of Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda.

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