No agreement yet on agenda for EU’s summit with Bush in Shannon

THE EU and the Irish Presidency are having problems agreeing an agenda with the US for the summit in Shannon at the end of the month.

The Americans want the Europeans to agree to a programme on stabilising the situation in Iraq during the first visit of President George Bush to Ireland which comes just days before the Iraqi interim government takes over.

However there are demands to include the issue of torture in Iraqi prisons by US and UK personnel and the situation in Guantanamo Bay, along with the Middle East and the US plan on the Broader Middle East and North Africa.