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United We Stand - The "unilateralism"
canard put to rest. (Editor's note: This article is written by Jose María Aznar,
Jose-Manuel Durão Barroso, Silvio Berlusconi, Tony Blair, Vaclav Havel,
Peter Medgyessy, Leszek Miller and Anders Fogh Rasmussen.)
The real bond between the U.S. and Europe is the values we share:
democracy, individual freedom, human rights and the rule of law. These
values crossed the Atlantic with those who sailed from Europe to help
create the United States of America. Today they are under greater threat
than ever.
The attacks of Sept. 11 showed just how far terrorists--the enemies of
our common values--are prepared to go to destroy them. Those outrages were
an attack on all of us. In standing firm in defense of these principles,
the governments and people of the U.S. and Europe have amply demonstrated
the strength of their convictions. Today more than ever, the
trans-Atlantic bond is a guarantee of our freedom.
We in Europe have a relationship with the U.S. which has stood the test
of time. Thanks in large part to American bravery, generosity and
farsightedness, Europe was set free from the two forms of tyranny that
devastated our continent in the 20th century: Nazism and communism.
Thanks, too, to the continued cooperation between Europe and the U.S. we
have managed to guarantee peace and freedom on our continent. The
trans-Atlantic relationship must not become a casualty of the current
Iraqi regime's persistent attempts to threaten world security.
In today's world, more than ever before, it is vital that we preserve
that unity and cohesion. We know that success in the day-to-day battle
against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
demands unwavering determination and firm international cohesion on the
part of all countries for whom freedom is precious.
The Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction represent a clear
threat to world security. This danger has been explicitly recognized by
the U.N. All of us are bound by Security Council Resolution 1441, which
was adopted unanimously. We Europeans have since reiterated our backing
for Resolution 1441, our wish to pursue the U.N. route, and our support
for the Security Council at the Prague NATO Summit and the Copenhagen
European Council.
In doing so, we sent a clear, firm and unequivocal message that we
would rid the world of the danger posed by Saddam Hussein's weapons of
mass destruction. We must remain united in insisting that his regime be
disarmed. The solidarity, cohesion and determination of the international
community are our best hope of achieving this peacefully. Our strength
lies in unity.
The combination of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism is a
threat of incalculable consequences. It is one at which all of us should
feel concerned. Resolution 1441 is Saddam Hussein's last chance to disarm
using peaceful means. The opportunity to avoid greater confrontation rests
with him. Sadly this week the U.N. weapons inspectors have confirmed that
his long-established pattern of deception, denial and noncompliance with
U.N. Security Council resolutions is continuing.
The U.N. Charter charges the Security Council with the task of
preserving international peace and security. To do so, the Security
Council must maintain its credibility by ensuring full compliance with its
resolutions. We cannot allow a dictator to systematically violate those
resolutions. If they are not complied with, the Security Council will lose
its credibility and world peace will suffer as a result. We are confident
that the Security Council will face up to its responsibilities.
Messrs. Aznar, Durão Barroso, Berlusconi, Blair, Medgyessy, Miller
and Fogh Rasmussen are, respectively, the prime ministers of Spain,
Portugal, Italy, the U.K., Hungary, Poland and Denmark. Mr. Havel is the
Czech president.
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