Allawi Meets EU After Anger at 'Spectator' Jibe

[Kellanved]

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi met EU leaders on Friday and sought to calm anger over his description of states that opposed the U.S.-led war to oust Saddam Hussein as "spectators."

Several of them said his comment, made on a visit to Rome on Thursday, was unhelpful ahead of a first meeting at which the 25-nation bloc was to offer him a modest aid package as it seeks a fresh start after bitter divisions over Iraq.

...
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called Allawi's comment "a slip of the tongue" and said he would remind him Germany was training Iraqi police and military in the United Arab Emirates and had offered to write off a substantial amount of Iraqi debt.

Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, one of the European critics of the war, told reporters: "I don't like the expression 'spectator states' at all."

...
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6728376

[Sara Beverley]

1. Actually the EU should just step aside and let the US go it alone.

The EU needs to raise an army and prepare to engage us at some future date. Someone needs to help us overthrow the American Taliban.

[xchrom]

2. agreed -- the american voters want the responsibility

they should pay the damn bill.

[MrMonk]

5. If Bush asks for help, he should have it

as long as he admits to the world that he misunderestimated the situation and now realizes that he can't go it alone.

[justjones]

3. Allawi, showing the same "statemanship" as his Dark Lord, Bush. n/t

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. The EU isn't going to provide him with any help.

By all accounts, the cities of Iraq are lawless places and appears to have become a mecca for reprisal terrorist activity. Even if they were to make headway with the rebuilding efforts, it is likely that terrorist bombs and attacks will continue to disrupt the peace forever, and prevent the place from ever being secure again.