The Week in Europe
By David Jessop

A little over a week ago Europe's External Affairs Commissioner, Chris
Patten, called on the United States to use its leadership to promote
international co-operation and abandon its instinct for acting in a
unilateral manner.

His remarks, which suggest a potential transatlantic rift, came ostensibly
in response to an interview in the London Financial Times with the US
Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Their origins lie in the US President's
State of the Union speech in which he referred to Iraq, Iran and North Korea
as an "axis of evil". In many European capitals the speech had been heard as
an echo of ex-President Reagan's evil empire speech in which he made clear
US intent towards the former Soviet Union. It was also seen as an indication
that the US was preparing unilaterally for direct action in Iraq.

Responding to such concerns expressed by the French Foreign Minister, the
British Foreign Secretary and others from Europe, Mr Powell suggested in his
interview with the Financial Times that President Bush's State of the Union
speech did not represent a shift in US policy. There was not a plan of
action. The President, Mr Powell said, acts "after listening to all of his
advisers" and "after consulting with all of his friends and allies".

Despite this apparent reassurance, there remains a sense of unease in
Europe. This is reflected in a view that Colin Powell, the most
multilaterally minded of the US President's advisers, is being marginalised
by the conservatives and hawks in the US Department of Defence and in parts
of the National Security Council. There is also concern that in important
parts of Congress there is a willingness to agree to act first and consider
later the consequences on complex alliances.

European officials further suggest that the war on terrorism is leading the
US define a new geo political strategy. This, it is suggested, regards
friends and enemies in a different ways to prevously, undertakes actions
such as the little reported "robust training exercise" in the Philippines or
seeks to topple leaders in states such as North Korea.

In his subtle commentary on changing US policy, Chris Patten, who is a
former Chairman of Britain's Conservative Party, noted that this
unilateralist urge was not wicked, rather it was ultimately ineffective and
self defeating. Security, he said, is a wider concept that includes the
provision of development assistance such as that Europe gives to weak or
failing states. Mr Patten also suggested that the exercise of power required
the retention of moral authority by those in positions of leadership if they
were to expect international support.

Whether the US will or will not act in future in a unilateral manner on
issues regarded as relating to terrorism is far from clear. It is possible
that US unilateralism may be short lived if over the next year the US
suffers further terrorist actions within its shores.  US public sentiment
and the politics it drives may change from that of vengeance to an
understanding the nature of global interdependence. It may be that officials
come to recognise that there are limits to the extent that military might
can respond to low technology, sporadic and unpredictable acts by close knit
groups seeking a place in Paradise at the cost of innocent lives. But then
again it may not. Indeed further terrorist actions may have the opposite
effect.

More importantly other factors suggest unilateral actions by the US
administration are more likely to increase.

US military technology and capability is now so advanced that no one
including an enlarged European Union can hope to exercise leverage over US
strategy. Moreover, Washington's ability to project its power across the
globe is unique. This, matched with a powerful economy, dramatically
increased defence budgets and a clear intention to protect its own interests
is causing much of Europe to come to realise, like it or not, that US
practice concerning multilateralism has changed.

All of this has political and economic implications for a Caribbean in the
process of seeking to integrate its economy into that of its own hemisphere.
Although the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) process is about all of
the Americas but for much of the Caribbean and the larger economies of the
Western Caribbean in particular such as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic,
it is about access to the United States.

The FTAA negotiating process is accelerating. Caribbean Governments together
with their business communities will be required within a matter of months
to decide on how they will approach these negotiations, what trade
concessions they will make and when they will open their markets to the full
force of US competition. They will also effectively be choosing how they
intend relating to their neighbours in the region as few countries have
identical requirements from the negotaiting process. The approach they
determine will also determine the weight they will place on future relations
with Europe as whatever they commit themselves to in the US-led FTAA process
will effectively predetermine the outcome of pending trade negotiations with
Europe.

But hidden behind these choices is something more fundamental. That is the
extent to which the people of the Caribbean wish to be drawn into a unipolar
hemisphere in which the concerns of the US economy, US geo-politics and
culture become the norm.

Some years ago I had the opportunity to meet Colin Powell, albeit briefly
and as a part of small group invited to a meeting in Washington. The
occasion was a special briefing at which a group largely consisting of
Caribbean and Central American businessmen discussed US policy towards the
Caribbean Basin. The value was not just in hearing the General's views but
to sense that then as now an aspect of US policy was being formed by a
rational, feeling person with a genuine interest in Caribbean development
and an understanding of the region's unique identity. It will be interesting
to see and not a little alarming how well Secretary Powell will fare if
Europe's worst fears are realised and US unilaterlism hold sway.

David Jessop is the Executive Director of the Caribbean Council for Europe
and can be contacted at [log in to unmask]
February 22nd, 2002


Dr. Amanda Sives
Project Officer - Election Observation
Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit
Institute of Commonwealth Studies
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