European imperialism?
01 August 2003
Robert Cooper, a senior UK diplomat who advised Tony Blair, now works for Javier Solona the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union and the High Representative on defence and foreign policy. In April 2002, which still working for the British government, Cooper wrote an article entitled "Why we still need empires" in the Observer newspaper (7.4.02) which argues for intervention on behalf of "civilisation" against "chaos" (barbarism, "rogue states") and calls for a new "colonialism" or "liberal imperialism" to impose order.
Now Cooper works for Mr Solana and has written a follow up article, "Civilise or die" in the Guardian (23.10.03). His argument here is that the possibility of terrorists acquiring weapons of mass destruction means that: "We should all be in favour of regime change" because "our only defence against such a world is the spread of civilisation" which means:
The domestic governance of foreign countries has now become a matter of our own security.
Containment will not work and "empire" (direct rule) is unacceptable, he argues. The model he espouses is based on the incorporation of central and eastern European countries into the European Union where there has been a "kind of regime change". But this has been "chosen" by those countries and is therefore legitimate (how much real "choice" these countries had is a matter of debate). The accession of these countries:
represents the spread of civilisation and good governance in lasting form
This leads him to propose that there needs to be a regional settlement in the Middle East with "security guarantees" (military presence) by the USA or NATO and economic guarrantees of aid and market access by the EU. The price would be "good governance", that is that these states would not pose a security threat to the EU.
Of course Richard Cooper's views do not officially represent those of the EU, however they do reflect a real on-going debate. EU policymakers are very concerned that if the security situation in Iraq continues it will represent a long-term threat right on their "doorstep". Turkey is trying join the EU and the new (immigration-driven) concept of the "EU's neighbours" includes Israel, Lebanon, Jordon, Palestine and Syria (COM 2003/104 and Statewatch vol 13 no 2).
Cooper's scenario, far-fetched though it may seem, is not far removed from the talk in the corridors of Brussels of creating a "wider Europe".
See also “A Secure Europe in a safer world” speech by Javier Solano on:
www.statewatch.org.news/2003/jun/SECURE.EUROPE.pdf