EU moves to use of force to halt spread of arms

EU foreign ministers agreed to a new policy on dealing with weapons of mass destruction in a marked move towards the US position of using force if necessary to combat their spread.

They also made a significant shift in strategy towards Iran that has been branded one of the “axis of evil” countries by the US and accused of manufacturing nuclear weapons illegally. The European ministers threatened not to continue discussions on a trade deal with Iraq, if they fail to allow tougher UN inspections of their nuclear programme. They agreed to have and continuously update an assessment of the threat from WMD. The policy commits the EU to finding political solutions to the underlying problems that lead countries to feel they need WMD.

It says a common approach and co-operation with key partners such as the US and the Russian Federation is essential to effectively implement a WMD non-proliferation regime. Their strategy will be based on increased dialogue with countries suspected of proliferation and making this a strong element in relationships with some countries.