'Old Europe' presses ahead with plans for an EU army
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in Brussels
(Filed: 30/04/2003)

"Old Europe" threw down the gauntlet at the feet of Britain, the 
United States and the Atlantic Alliance at a mini-summit yesterday, 
unveiling  plans for a new Euro-army with its own military headquarters.

France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg - described by some in the 
US as the "Axis of Weasel" - vowed to press ahead with a full-fledged 
defence union, brushing aside warnings that the move would entrench 
the European Union's bitter divisions over Iraq and could lead to the 
break-up of Nato.  

A new rapid reaction force would be built around the existing 
Franco-German brigade, taking in Belgian commandos and units 
from Luxembourg. It would answer to a headquarters in the 
Brussels suburb of Tervuren and be ready for joint operations 
next year.

[snip]

Full article at Telegraph UK ...
http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/04/30/weu30.xml
&sSheet=/news/2003/04/30/ixnewstop.html/news/2003/04/30/weu30.xml


Cheers, Steve..

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