Miliband backs strong EU military force
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, July 2, IRNA
UK-EU-Defense
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband Wednesday expressed the British government's support to proposals made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy for a strong EU defense force independent of the US.
Europe must develop its military capabilities along the lines proposed by the EU's French presidency if it is not always to wait for America and NATO to be ready to intervene, Miliband argued.
"As the Balkans wars in the 1990s demonstrated, unless Europe can develop its own capabilities, it will be consigned always to wait impotently until the US and NATO are ready and able to intervene," he was due to say in a speech to the Progress think-tank.
The foreign secretary said that there a genuine role for the EU in conflict prevention and crisis management whether it is providing the civilian experts -- the police trainers, judges, civil servants and aid workers -- that are needed alongside the military.
In extracts of his speech on democracy and human rights, he also said there was a role for deploying soldiers from national armies in roles where NATO is not engaged.
Miliband was also expected to highlight the role of EU troops in training Palestinian police in the West Bank, saying 'the countries of Europe need to be better at using their hard power'.
In reference to Ireland's rejection of the new Lisbon Treaty, he conceded that the 'no' vote has shaken the confidence of EU leaders and that the union 'lacks a clear mission'.
The Irish result 'cannot be dismissed out of hand and has a message for us. We will not get Europe right if we offer a tin ear to the people', he warned.
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