Saturday, September 02, 2006

Moe, Larry, or Curly ?

EU gives Iran 2 more weeks.

In this week's Economist:

For many Americans, Europe's current involvement in Lebanon continues the tradition of irrelevance. It has been rather like a "three-stooges" show in which Jacques Chirac grandiloquently announces that France will save the world, offers to send three men and a popgun, and is finally shamed by—of all nations—Italy into sending 2,000 troops, which still won't be enough. Given an opportunity to show leadership in the region, Europe fluffs it. Again.

So is the EU more like Moe, Larry, or Curly? I say Shemp. "Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk!"

Italy's foreign minister, Massimo D'Alema, argues that co-operation over Israel, Lebanon and Palestine could help to improve ties with America, by showing that the Europeans and Americans can work together in the Arab-Israeli conflict just as they have already done in their efforts to stop Iran's suspected development of nuclear weapons. It is worth noticing, however, that close transatlantic co-operation on Iran, backed up by a resolution from the Security Council, has not yet persuaded the Islamic Republic to stop uranium enrichment. As Europe is about to rediscover, they play rough in the Middle East.

"Soitenly!"

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