EU ministers likely to fudge issue rather than antagonise US on Iraq

IN the face of deep differences about the US bombings of Iraq, EU Foreign Ministers are likely today to agree to fudge the Union's collective position rather than provoke an unseemly row.

Meeting for two days in informal session in Tralee, Co Kerry, they are likely, however, to back the idea of a new but as yet unfleshed-out EU Middle East peace process initiative.

The Iraq issue is likely to be raised first on the ministers' agenda by the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Spring. But last night he confirmed that he did not expect the ministers to reach conclusions in the current political climate.

Nor was Mr Spring optimistic they could even reach a common position for the forthcoming UN debate on easing oil sanctions to allow the Iraqis to buy food. Although agreement on a common position to back the easing was close before the bombings, some delegations are understood not to want to be seen opposing the US at this time.

Mr Spring vehemently denied suggestions that there are differences within the Government on the Iraq bombing issue. Asked whether his comments yesterday that the bombing was "justified" were compatible with the Taoiseach's expressed concern that force was not the best way of resolving such issues, Mr Spring said: "We all want to see force avoided in any situation.

"But we are talking about a situation where the Iraqi army effectively broke international agreements and threatened the security of Kurdish people ... In the circumstances where there was widespread killing and destruction and breaking of international agreements, the US made their decision."

Mr Spring is clearly anxious not to paint the US as the villains of the piece. With the majority of EU member-states openly sympathetic to the US actions and only the French outspokenly against them the presidency will not want to be seen to be out of step.

Mr Spring is also acutely aware that Mr Bruton will be addressing the US Congress next week, and with Ireland's own peace process in a parlous condition, diplomats will be urging that now is not the time to antagonise the US.

The ministerial agenda over the next two days will also cover Bosnia, with the Dayton representative, Mr Carl Bildt, reporting to the meeting. They will discuss EU-US relations in the wake of the Helms-Burton row over trade with Cuba, and hear a progress report from Mr Spring's special representative on the treaty-changing Inter-Governmental Conference, Mr Noel Dorr.