The idea of the European Union actually staying in Europe seems to be falling by the wayside, as the multinational body is moving forward with plans for a major escalation, including force, in Africa.
Several EU nations were involved in last year’s attack on Libya. With that war “over” and the nation still in complete chaos, EU official Catherine Ashton says that a “fact-finding mission” is going to be deployed to Libya this month to try to prepare a “Common Security and Defence Policy” deployment to the nation, a key oil supplier to Europe.
Of course the biggest fallout from Libya’s collapse, besides of course the constant city-to-city fighting inside Libya that continues to this day, was a secessionist movement in northern Mali. So, according to Ashton, the EU is working on a military role in the inevitable invasion of that impoverished nation.
France and Britain, both EU members, have been big supporters of the idea of attacking northern Mali to impose the “interim government” installed by a military coup earlier this year on the rest of the nation. Factions in the north, including Islamist group Ansar Dine, have been pushing for negotiations, but it seems the plans for attack continue to move forward much more rapidly and with more EU eagerness than any suggestion of peace.
Good luck to Europe. They could not handle Kosovo, and its criminal government. It is criminal until today. What makes them think they will do better in Libya and Mali.
But then, it is reallhy just the question of real goals. if the goal is to have a make-belieive government in place, so the government can turn over nation's wealth to foreign corporations, while the country is ruled by anarchy and total lawlessness — then the mission is a success! The onty purpose of placing an EU office there is to insure that NO OTHER POWER MOVES IN. Other then that, they will let natives kill each other, and themselves to their heart;s content. Empirial drones will just buzz by, and let the bloodbath continue, for generations, if necessary.
Bianca, the EU has a strong competitor. It's called AMERICA.
It would be ironic if AMERICA and Europe ended up fighting each other over African spoils.
Perhaps they might neutralize each other, making the world a better place!
What else should we expect from a Nobel peace prize laureate?
China has made very strong inroads into Africa as of the last several years, wooing the African Union with billions in loans and pursuing major cooperative projects in most of the countries. It appears, after all these years, that our old Euro colonialists still don't want to give up 'their' Africa until it is completely milked.
Is this "White Man's Burden" Part 2 or Part 3?
US media increasingly sees the EU as single entity. This may be due to laziness, ignorance, wistful thinking or an attempt to dumb down its US based readers or all of the above.
Unlike the US, the EU is nominally, and still somewhat factually, a group of sovereign nation-states – not a federation.
A few of the European states still yearn to their imperial/colonial past, envious of growing US imperial power.
Britain, home of EU foreign affairs spokesperson Catherine Ashton, is a leading member of this group. The UK has always been a reluctant EU member, playing more the role of destructive US fifth column than cooperative partner, and is now squirming to find a graceful exit.
The EU bureaucracy, which came into being before any EU government was in place, remains apart from and constantly at odds with state governments.
So, please, no more "The EU plan.s…" headlines.
By draining their economic wealth by war making, these individual "nations" are forcing other members of the EU to support them, even if only tangentially , therefor making these other "nations" complicit in their war making. "Qui cum canibus concumbunt cum pulicibus surgent."
This is a very misleading article, as can be seen by simply linking to the Defense News article .The mission to Libya is a "civilian mission" that will "focus on border management". The military mission to Mali is for "the training and modernization of Malian forces". "Direct military support from the EU in future operations by the Malian Army is not envisaged".The purpose of these two related missions is very clear to anyone who knows anything about the EU: control of illegal immigration at source. Hence the emphasis on border management in regard to Libya. In regard to Mali, the object is to stabilise the country, so that large numbers of people don't start fleeing northward in the hope of getting into the EU. Thus, as is clear from the article, there are no plans whatsoever for "attacks" or "invasions". Mr Ditz just doesn't understand how the EU functions.
Look: Europe and its democracy is fading from the face of many European governments, the Ne democracy or if you will the Neo fascism is on the rise and Ashton is one of the forces, among others from Swedish government to Angela Markell and Cameron of England to the Neo march of fascism in Greece and etc. are the one behind this escalation. They are investing with everything they got in Africa because they have no other alternative, they are losing their foot mark in Middle East, so they are after a new area to conquer, with the blessing from Obama, the Libya was the beginning for us and EU wanting to share the world resources, Africa mostly is untouched and for us and EU dominance they started the militarization of Africa replacing the legitimate governments with their religious fanatics, having said that, this is their last resort, this Neo politics shows that these Neo regimes are not about democracy, nor is willing to negotiate for the people where their people would benefit.