European Socialists statement on Iraq

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday March 14, 2003 18:57 by flanagan - Labour Party head_office at labour dot ie

PES calls for Europe to speak with one voice

PES GROUP STATEMENT ON IRAQ

The PES Group,

Reaffirms its conviction that the war is avoidable. Calls upon the European Council due to meet on 21/22nd March to make all endeavours to ensure that Europe speaks with one voice in this decisive step of the crisis. Reiterates its position adopted on 15th January 2003 on Iraq and that of the European Parliament of 30th January 2003 in which clear guidelines were established to face the present crisis and to fulfill the aims of the UN Security Council Resolution 1441 and previous resolutions;

Welcomes the demonstrations for peace by millions of people worldwide, including those in the United States, and that of 15th February in which the citizens of all EU countries, in an unprecedented number, took part, expressing their opposition to war and claimed a common European position; expresses its full satisfaction that in these demonstrations, the PES Group position was largely shared.

Supports the conclusions of the European Council of 17th February 2003, also agreed by the applicant countries, and demands that this common position be followed by the acting EU Member States in the UN Security Council;

Recalls the importance of achieving complete disarmament of Iraqi chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons of mass destruction if existing and to dismantle the possible capacity of Iraq to produce such weapons;

Insists that the Iraqi Government, in order to comply with the UN Security Council Resolution 1441, must continue to allow UNMOVIC inspections, unconditionally and with unimpeded access as well as ensure a pro-active attitude as demanded by the European Council of 17th February;

Considers that the 7th March report of Mr Hans Blix, Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC, and of Mr El Baradei, Director-General of the IAEA, shows that the inspections carried out until now and the pressures exerted from all sides on Saddam Hussein have enabled positive results to be obtained, including the destruction of some prohibited armaments. The inspections must continue. They can be strengthened by fixing benchmarks and a timetable for the disarmament. We support this objective and we ask all Member States of the UN Security Council to refuse to give international legitimacy to any military action as long as the UNSC considers the inspections meaningful;

The PES Group:

Further expresses its opposition to any unilateral military action and believes that a pre-emptive strike would not be in accordance with international law and the UN Charter and would lead to a deeper crisis involving other countries in the region.

We urge the European Council to do everything in its power to contribute to the solution of conflict in the Middle East as agreed at the European Council of 17th February;

Confirms its commitment to the multilateral approach in international relations and considers that the respect of the role of the UN and its bodies is the best way to reinforce this perspective;

Demands the regime in Iraq to be responsive to the widespread criticism of its internal and external policies, mostly victimising its own population. Demands that it applies a policy of tolerance, respect of human rights, freedom and basic support for all its citizens, irrespective of ethnicity and religion and submit itself to a democratic process ;