Western European News Digest

Soros's European CFR Prepares Continent for Imperial War

Aug. 5 (EIRNS)—The Brussels-based European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), created by Obama-backer and London imperial financier George Soros, has issued a report calling for Britain and France to lead continental Europe in creating expeditionary military forces for conflicts abroad, irrespective of the fate of the Lisbon Treaty after the Irish "No" vote.

Report author and ECFR senior fellow Nick Witney, a career British diplomat who used to supervise the Al-Yamamah-BAE contract for the U.K. Ministry of Defense, calls for a shrinkage of the number of Europeans in uniform, a shrinkage of "useless" military equipment like tanks, and cartelization of streamlined defense industries, all which are too focused on sovereign national priorities. Witney, the first head of the EU's mini-Pentagon, the European Defense Agency (EDA), demands that "pioneer groups" of countries, with their expeditionary force capabilities, pool together around the EDA. EU countries not willing to participate don't have to, but then, they have no right to interfere with EU "pioneer group" decisions on sending troops abroad. Witney and ECFR co-director, former Green party German foreign minister Joschka Fischer, complain that the EU, with 2 million citizens in uniform—500,000 more than the "superpower USA"—only a minuscule percentage of whom are available for foreign intervention—specifically against Russia.

Thus, like the period leading up to what became World War II, the Anglo-Dutch empire prepares continental Europe for the geopolitical trap.

EU Secret Security Report: Lisbon Treaty in Disguise

Aug. 7 (EIRNS)—The so-called Future Group of European Interior Ministers, including those from France, Germany, Sweden, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia, released its report on European security cooperation, which is clearly another effort to get this program into the EU without the Lisbon Treaty. Great Britain sent an observer, Attorney General Baroness Scotland.

The report, which has not been made public but was seen by the Guardian, calls for the creation of a "Euro-Atlantic area of cooperation" to include the sharing of information on European citizens. It contains other controversial proposals, including the creation of an expeditionary corps of armed gendarmerie for paramilitary interventions overseas.

The report states, "The EU should make up its mind with regard to the political objective of achieving a Euro-Atlantic area of cooperation with the United States in the field of freedom, security and justice."

The group expects to finalize the pact in 2014.

The American Civil Liberties Union has sent letters of warning to the Members of the European Parliament, because such a plan would in fact strengthen the "lawless" privacy laws in the U.S.

European Social Democracies Disintegrate

Aug. 7 (EIRNS)—As the global economy continues to disintegrate, the splits in the seams of ruling parliamentary coalitions of European countries are widening, contributing to a general paralysis of leadership across the region.

The Italian Democratic Party (DP) is in a deep crisis, one year after its founding. Polls indicate that in the next European elections, it may not break through the 30% level, which means the party will disintegrate. The DP is already torn by internecine fights, with the leadership of Walter Veltroni being questioned. The party is seen as not addressing the "lower 80%," and is instead drowning under pro-globalization policies pushed by its Baby-Boomer leadership. Meanwhile, the left-wing PRC party split at its recent congress, and the leadership was taken over by the most radical wing.

In a similar, albeit less advanced process, in Germany, the Social Democratic Party is torn by the split between right-wing and left-wing factions. The SPD rank-and-file watch their leaders slaughtering each other, as the party is going down. An SPD contact told EIR that he wishes someone in the leadership would intervene with authority and bring the party back to the "old values, as in the times of Schmidt and Brandt."

Italian Austerity: Military Deployed in Major Cities

Aug. 5 (EIRNS)—The Italian government has had to deliver on its electoral promises to impose law and order, but, having no money to hire more police, it chose the cheap way: 3,000 armed soldiers are now deployed in major Italian cities, to provide "security." The government says this is temporary, and after a few months a review will be made.

The police are angry, and the military have no police training. Therefore, military patrols are mostly deployed to guard offices, such as embassies, consulates, missions, and government offices. But some of them also go on patrols commanded by police officers.

Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno, a former neo-fascist, as is the minister of defense, was opposed to the plan, but struck a compromise, so that the Army will not be deployed in the center of Rome, but only on the periphery.

Sarkozy Gives China 'Gold Medal'; Drops Dalai Lama Meet

PARIS, Aug. 7 (EIRNS)—Some French institutional forces seemed to have again taken command over President Sarkozy's vocal apparatus yesterday, indicated by a sharp reversal on his public position regarding China. The French President, before leaving for the opening of the Olympic Games, told the New China press agency that, "To China, which every day succeeds more and more, I send a warm message of friendship, an historical, unfailing and unwavering friendship, which unites the French people with the Chinese people."

At the same time, Sarkozy announced that he will not meet the Dalai Lama, who will be in France during the games, allegedly for "religious teachings." Sarcastically, the Elysée Palace confirmed the information circulated by the Dalai Lama's advisor that the latter never requested a meeting with the French President. Only First Lady Carla Bruni will be with the Dalai Lama during the opening of a Buddhist temple in southern France on Aug. 22.

EU Countries Start To Destroy Vineyards

Aug. 1 (EIRNS)—Starting today, EU member-nations will start destroying 425,000 acres of vineyards, to be completed over the next three years, according to a law approved by the EU Council April 19. More than Eu1 billion have been allocated to provide incentives for the operation.

Destruction of European vineyards is motivated by "overproduction." In reality, wine consumption is decreasing because of 1) collapse of incomes 2) lack of interested among the younger generation. Strong wine consumers, such as the Italians, today consume 47 liters per capita per year, as against 60 liters in 1996. Italy alone will destroy 58,435 hectares (about 143,000 acres), more than half of the entire vineyards of Germany.