Flying Dutchman diplomacy
UNITED NATIONS Ñ The exiled Palestinian militants which had seized Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity will soon find sanctuary in the arms of the European Union.
The gunmen who held out for nearly forty days in the venerated Christian shrine were allowed to go into exile in an intricately brokered diplomatic deal which has so far left the militants in legal limbo on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The plan is that the thirteen terrorists will be sent to into safe "temporary"exile in Euroland.
The Church occupation was a sacreligious insult to both Palestinian Christians, even many Muslims, and the world community. It became a focus of Israeli military operations on the West Bank. Now that the standoff in the sacred shrine has been defused by a delicate combination of U.S., U.N., Vatican, and European diplomacy, it's ironically Europe who "holds the bag" as to what to do with these thugs. Many European diplomats are quietly uncomfortable with the concept of giving even temporary refuge to these exiles.
It would seem to me that with the problems faced by various European governments from terrorists, i'ts more than ironic that the EU will now willfully accept some of these radicals to be dispursed to six countries; Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
Addressing the issue the European Union's good Professor Romano Prodi exclaims, "We have to decide how the men will be distributed among these countries." Indeed Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Pique asserted, "They are not going to be arrested or detained, these people are classified as terrorsits by Israel, but there are no outstanding cases against them in Europe." This is precisely the problem; do European governments then give them a Eurail pass, a wad of Euros and tell them to have a nice summer or are they placed under some sort of incarceration in countries where thery have committed no crimes? Do they qualify for political asylum?
Foreign Minister Pique was assured by Chairman Yassir Arafat himself that the exiles will "fully respect and abide by the laws of the host countries." No doubt just as they respected one of Christendom's holiest shrines in Bethlehem.
Am I missing something here?? Recently French President Jacques Chirac made an impassioned speech over the coffins of eleven French citizens murdered by Islamic militants in Pakistan. Chirac vowed retribution. The President is right, there must be a price to pay for wanton terror, and sadly France has paid that price for far too long.
While the Israelis have thick dossiers on the individuals (Hamas and Al-Aksa Brigade Bombers) even a sanitized version of their resumes shows that among these thirteen are murderers, raketereers, and car thieves. So a highlight of EU foreign policy and a contribution to solving the seemingly intractable Middle East crisis involves the importation of wannabe martyrs and car thieves into Euroland? Move over Metternich.
Since Spain presently holds the rotating EU Presidency, let me start with the land of Don Quixote. Spain sadly knows terror too well and has been subjected on a regular basis to Basque terrorist bombings. Spain plainly does know better and I'm ceratin if it were not for being at the helm of the EU would not be part of this nonsensical "terrorist fresh air fund." Portugal understands too and should plainly say No. And Ireland, why would a land whose has suffered the terror of the IRA and other assorted paramilitaries really wish to be bring some of these clowns to Irish soil?
Greece sadly has played host to foreign terrorists before--recall the case of the Marxist Kurdish leader Ocelan. The PKK's Ocelan was given the hospitality of Italy too when an ex-communist served as Italian Prime Minister. But then Ocelan became the proverbial Flying Dutchman finding no refuge until he was captured by Turkish commandos in Kenya, a few years back. Perhaps Belgium's plainly "see no evil" Foreign Minister makes a good case to take the whole lot.
Among the awkward legal problems with the Palestinians in Europe, as Britain's Daily Telegraph warns, "One problem is how the militants will be watched over without putting them in prison. There is also uncertainty over whether they will be allowed to travel freely within the EU." Mind you, with Europe's "borderless" agreements, these radicals, who have not committed any European crimes, can move about easily and legally across national frontiers.
Many European politicos who see themselves as too smart by half are actually dull as ditchwater. What precedent does a deal like this create? While I totally support the need to have defused this sordid occupation of a sacred place in the Holy Land, does that entitle the perpetrators of this vile act to get an extended European holiday at the expense of the European taxpayers?
I have a better plan Ñ the USA could help out after all. I'm thinking of a place on a palm fringed island Ñ with many other Islamic militants and indeed some Europeans among them. That's Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense
issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.
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