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| EU foreign policy failed on Lebanon, Chirac says
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French President Jacques Chirac
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PARIS/BRUSSELS (EJP)--- The European Union has reacted too slowly to stop the destruction of Lebanon, showing weaknesses in its foreign policy, French President Jacques Chirac has declared.
Speaking Monday at an annual meeting of top French diplomats in Paris, Chirac said: "Europe was insufficiently active in the Lebanese crisis, although France had recommended on a number of occasions that the EU High Representative be given a mandate to speak and act on behalf of the twenty-five member countries, as he is doing in the Iranian issue."
“Europe needs to rid itself of its inhibitions and be a player able to contribute to a constructive dialogue with the major world powers. The future of the European project is today predicated on Europe’s ability to be a leading political player," Chirac added.
"Peoples will renew their commitment to Europe if it proves able, against the backdrop of disorder in the world, to make proposals and take action in response to globalisation," Chirac said.
Lack of powers
The EU’s High Representative for foreign and security policy, Javier Solana, flew to Lebanon at the height of the conflict in July but the Finnish EU presidency ignored Chirac’s plea to give the unofficial EU foreign minister special powers in the Mideast crisis.
According to diplomatic sources in Brussels, Britain was unwilling to let Solana negotiate for the whole bloc because there was no unanimity on how to handle the crisis, while other EU states were afraid of losing control in foreign policy areas.
Lebanese and Israeli diplomats allegedly grumbled about having to host a plethora of EU entities such as Finnish presidency officials, member states’ diplomats and European Commission staff, the sources said.
The 34-day conflict started on 12 July when Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others in a cross-border raid. Fighting stopped after UN resolution 1701 calling for a ceasefire and the deployment of 15,000 troops in southern Lebanon, was adopted by the Security Council on 12 August. Israel is continuing to enforce a partial air and sea blockade to stop arms flows into the region.
"In a few short days we saw Lebanon laid to waste, its people battered, 15 years of [diplomatic] effort laid to waste," Chirac said.
France has a special relationship with Lebanon, which it ruled between 1920 and 1943 under the auspices of the UN’s predecessor, the League of Nations.
Europe provides
EU foreign ministers, who met last Friday in Brussels with UN Secretary General Koffi Annan, agreed to provide almost 7,000 troops to the UN peacekpeeing force, known as Unifil, in southern Lebanon.
France, initially hesitated to commit ground troops, but changed its mind and decided to send 2,000 soldiers. Italy confirmed it will send 3,000 troops.
Spain, Poland, Belgium and Finland will also contribute troops to the force will seek to maintain the fragile cease fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
France and later Italy will lead the force.
On Monday, the French president outlined a peace plan for the region that includes: lifting the Israeli blockade on Lebanon, rebuilding Lebanese infrastructure with international money, engaging diplomatically with Iran and Syria and creating a viable Palestinian state.
"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict concentrates all the incomprehension between different worlds," Chirac said. "A major danger looms - the danger of estrangement between the different worlds, between east and west, Islam and Christianity, rich and poor."
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