I know that I have tended to focus mainly on issues directly concerning the war and the far east when talking about broader security issues.  This piece is meant to correct that far eastern focus and I hope to correct for that particular bit of target fixation.  For great background and EU related news check out Richard North's definitive blog EU Referendum, he does a much better job at covering this subject than I could ever hope to do.

     The European Union has since its very beginning sought to create a single United States of Europe, and knowing that this could not be accomplished overtly they have relied upon the covert salami method of slowly but surely usurping power from the National governments that make up the EU.  One of the key areas of usurpation that has failed to succeed is in the area of defence, having to contend with selfish national interests and the established allience of NATO.  This doesn't mean that the EU has been inactive on the defence front, the opposite is true.  Having thus far focused on creating a 'European Rapid Reaction Force" (ERRF) which is hardly rapid and distinctly lacking in force.  The current EU 'Reform Treaty' (aka EU Constitution Mk 2) would if passed pave the way for a single European army.  For Britian this would turn a bad situation to into a distarous one.  British equipment procurement and development is largely hamstrung due to comitment to the ERRF that leads to either buying the wrong things or going with inferior, and often more expensive european gear when cheaper US, Canadian or Australian gear is readily available.

     This effects other European nations as well, and it is interesting to note that two of the heaviest lifting NATO countries are not EU members, Norway and Turkey respectively.  As some nations pay more attention to EU directives than NATO agreements the allience suffers, and as a result all of NATO's members pay the price.  This can already be seen in Afghanistan where some countries have limited interoperability with US, Canadian and South Korean forces. While not at the tipping point for the UK yet the very real possibility of being forced to choose between the US and hte 'special relationship' or europe and its improbable dreams of glory is soon approaching.  When the moment comes one hopes that Britian will see the light and protect one of the oldest* and closest alliences on God's green earth.  Until then one can only watch and wait.

British Snipers in Basra Iraq circa spring 2004, from the Royal Irish Regiment.

*The formal allience between the UK and USA was sealed with the treaty of Yorktown in May of 1880.

Posted by: raging tachikoma at 05:16 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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