'Security policy must be interpreted in a new and broader way," Merkel and Sarkozy said. They went on to associate the centre piece of Brown's claim to world economic leadership during the depression - a joint approach to installing global financial architecture- to joint security policy. And associated jointly securing energy supplies and a joint approach to population migration with cooperation on military security.
The need for Europe and the US to deepen their cooperation given the new risks they face in the 21st century means:
" joint analysis, decision-taking and implementation. Unilateral steps would contradict the spirit of this partnership. But it also means that we Europeans must speak even more with one voice, which requires a strong measure of discipline from the member states," (quoted in Der Spiegel).
"We must further bundle and increase our capabilities, both civilian and military. The synergy between both is the trademark of European security policy."German troops are to be stationed on French soil for the first time since the Second war. Could it be that Brown's pursuit of his global vision will see German troops stationed in England too, only he hasn't seen fit to mention that that is part of the price of conceding him the role he yearns for?
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10 comments:
This is a most worrying concept. As it is a perfect idea for civilian control.
If you station troops in a country with no cultural or social ties they are going to be far more willing to use violence to supress those people.
I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't hand over internal security for each EU state to soldiers from different countries.
There have been German troops stationed in UK, on and off, for donkeys years, HG
bringing their splendid Leopard Tanks to the tank ranges at Castle Martin, where for a time they had a permanent unit stationed
(wv = rookere)
Tanks, ND. And Nato allies practising the Cold War. I fear these arrangements are intended to be used, and not against the armies of another nation state.
Brown's posturing and its acceptance by other states is bought at what price, precisely? Anyone can run rings round a Leader so damaged, secretive, and untramelled by democratic answerability as ours.
We already have traffic wardens issuing tickets regardless of their doubtful immigration status so why not German soldiers ?
The EU is sinister. No doubt about it.
I have long thought that the visible appearance of foreign enforcement services on the streets of the UK would probably be the long-awaited tipping point.
Remember your Chesterton.
We'd speak then, all right.
Will they be wearing NATO or EU helmets?
I'm not worried about German soldiers, chuck a few rocks at them and they'll return to barracks since they avoid confrontation but what about the European Gendamerie Force
http://www.eurogendfor.org/
That IS scarey
"If you station troops in a country with no cultural or social ties they are going to be far more willing to use violence to su[p]press those people.
Stalin knew this well; whenever he had REAL trouble to deal with, he always brought in troops from the other end of the USSR. To use the locals would have risked them sympathising with the wrong side.
Broon may not be well-informed on stuff like Soviet history, but I bet Lord Mandlebum's well aware of it.
"If you station troops in a country with no cultural or social ties they are going to be far more willing to use violence to suppress those people".
Franco knew this too; Spain is a very regionalised country ( more like a federation ). Until democracy each little village had a blockhouse for a few armed Guarda Civil ( that's the paramilitary types with the funny tri-corner hats ) and these would all come from the same, different, part of Spain. In effect they were an occupying force.
Toward the very end of the Franco Regime ( indeed he might already have been dead ) one of those Guarda Civil pointed a sub-machine gun at me, because I had ( touristicly ) pointed a camera at him.
http://leg-iron.livejournal.com/138887.html
"one of those Guarda Civil pointed a sub-machine gun at me, because I had ( touristicly ) pointed a camera at him."
Well we've got that, too, from February 16th. See http://p10.hostingprod.com/@spyblog.org.uk/blog/2009/01/counter-terrorism-act-2008---attempting-to-elicit-information-and-secret-dna-sam.html
for more info. Sorry about stupid link, maybe I need to find out more about tinyurl.
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