EU Leaders Resolve Dispute Over Iraq

In the end, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer was right. The leaders of the European Union were able late Monday to merge what Fischer called their starkly contrasting positions into a common commitment on the disarmament of Iraq and a possible U.S.-led invasion of Saddam Hussein's country.

In a statement that Chancellor Gerhard Schröder called a classic compromise, the 15 leaders offered words of support for the leading opponents in the debate. In a signal to Schröder and French President Jacques Chirac, the statement stressed the need to pursue a peaceful course aimed at disarming Iraq. In a signal to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, it acknowledged that force might be necessary to enforce a U.N. resolution on the disarmament of Iraq.

"War is not inevitable," the statement said. "Force should be used only as a last resort."

Both positions gain support

The declaration continued in a similar tone, endorsing both positions.

"We reiterate our full support for the ongoing work of the U.N. inspectors," it said, reflecting a stance taken by Schröder. "They must be given the time and resources that the United Nations Security Council believes they need."

Later, it used tougher language indicating that the European Union was prepared to back Blair on the use of force. "Baghdad should have no illusions: it must disarm and cooperate immediately and fully. Iraq has a final opportunity to resolve the crisis peacefully. The Iraqi regime alone will be responsible for the consequences if it continues to flout the will of the international community and does not take this last chance," the declaration said.

Chirac expresses displeasure

The harmonious conclusion was interrupted by harsh criticism that French President Chirac directed at some of the 10 countries that are to join the EU in the first wave of expansion in 2004. At issue was their endorsement of President George W. Bush's aggressive approach to the Iraqi issue. In response, Chirac said: "It is not really responsible behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."

Chirac had particular criticism for Romania and Bulgaria, two of the three countries that hope to be considered for EU membership in the second wave of expansion that will follow later. "If they wanted to lessen their chances of joining Europe, then they could not have found a better way," Chirac said.

Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase said Chirac was apparently venting his anger at the United States on the eastern European countries. "When I have an argument with my wife, I yell at my sons. That is apparently the problem that Mr. Chirac has with the Americans and Romanians and Bulgarians."

The 13 potential new members were not invited to the summit. But Prime Minister Costas Simitis of Greece, which holds the rotating EU presidency, met with them on Tuesday to discuss the declaration. "We must reduce the differences between us, and the Central and Eastern European countries," Simitis said.

During the session, Simitis was able to win the 13 countries support for the declaration.

The EU leaders were called together in an emergency summit by Greece as the divide over Iraq began to grow within the Union last month. Schröder, a public opponent of a possible war, fueled the argument when he said Germany would vote against any U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing a war on Iraq. Blair then countered with a public declaration supporting the United States that was signed by him and seven other European leaders. "Europe and America must stand together," said the appeal, which appeared in the Wall Street Journal Europe and other European newspapers. The signing countries included Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, three of the 10 nations that are in the first wave of EU expansion.

NATO caught in argument

The conflict spread to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization this month as well, when Germany, France and Belgium set off one of the alliance's worst crises by vetoing a U.S. effort to begin military preparations to help Turkey, the alliance member that borders Iraq. This dispute was settled late Sunday in part by an alliance pledge to support the U.N. effort to disarm Iraq peacefully.

After the talks were over, Schröder and Blair indicated they had not changed their minds about the right approach to disarming Iraq.

Schröder said he had worked to weaken parts of the declaration that said such things as time is quickly running out. "That would have been totally unacceptable to us," Schröder said.

Blair said afterward that if Iraq could not be disarmed peacefully "it has to be done by force."

Schröder also said he had not backed away from his push for a peaceful resolution by endorsing a statement that accepted the use of force as a last resort. "We have used force as part of our involvement in Enduring Freedom (the U.S.-led fight against terrorism) and in the Balkans," Schröder said. "That is difficult for everyone. As a matter of principle, we have not been able to rule it out and have never ruled it out."