President George Bush set the tone for the U.S. rulers in his state of the union speech, in which he reiterated their determination to pursue their own class interests anywhere in the world. Bush threatened north Korea, Iraq, and Iran, calling them members of "an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world." He added: "All nations should know: America will do what is necessary to ensure our nation's security."

"We hope the United States does not give in to the strong temptation of unilateralism," French prime minister Lionel Jospin told a February 8 conference of parliamentarians from European countries. "We cannot reduce the problems of the world to the single dimension of the struggle against terrorism, despite its pressing importance, nor rely on the predominance of military means."

Foreign Minister Hubert Védrine urged other European powers to speak out more forcefully as they face a United States that is acting "unilaterally, without consulting others, making decisions based on its own view of the world and its own interests."

U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell responded to Védrine, stating Washington will not "shrink from doing that which is right, which is in our interest, even if some of our friends disagree with us."

In a February 6 editorial, the conservative French daily Le Figaro contrasted the U.S. approach with a conference hosted by the French government. "This is the antithesis of American views," it asserted. "At a time when President George W. Bush is denouncing an 'axis of evil'...France has called an international conference...to try to halt the proliferation of ballistic missiles."

Following a February 10 meeting with Bush in the White House, German chancellor Gerhard Schröder stated that Washington's "concern about the development of weapons of mass destruction, for example in Iraq, is appropriate." He added, however, that Bush had assured him there were no immediate plans to attack Iraq. "We all know the language used differs. Bush told me that he harbors no attack plans. I am relying on that."

Prior to Schröder's meeting with Bush, an editorial in the Süddeutsche Zeitung daily newspaper stated, "It can't be easy being the first grumpy European to appear at the throne of the freshly anointed American Caesar."

German foreign minister Joschka Fischer said in a February 12 interview in the conservative daily Die Welt that the "international coalition against terror is not the foundation to carry out just anything against anybody, and particularly not on one's own. All the European foreign ministers see it that way." He added that a "world with 6 billion people will not be led into a peaceful future by the mightiest power alone."

Speaking on February 2 at the annual Munich defense conference, Bavarian premier Edmund Stoiber, the Christian Social Union Party's candidate for chancellor in September elections, called on Berlin to increase its military budget. "We need modern forces that can be mobilized quickly with the technically best equipment," he said. "We Europeans must not just rely on America. We must do more for our own security and for global peace."  
 
German naval deployment
The conference coincided with the German navy's largest deployment since World War II, as six warships joined U.S.-led patrols off the Horn of Africa aimed at interdicting ships heading for Somalia. The German army has also sent commandos to join the international occupation force based in Kabul.

NATO secretary-general George Robertson told the Munich conference that NATO is "an essential part" of the "campaign against terrorism." Warning of the danger of U.S. "unilateralism," he stressed, "Even superpowers need allies and coalitions to provide bases, fuel, airspace and forces." Robertson called for an increase in military spending by the European imperialists.

The Wall Street Journal addressed the same point in a February 5 editorial. "The U.S. spent twice as much on defense last year as every other NATO member combined," it reported. "With the exception of the British, Europe's military forces are antique, often unable to communicate with their American counterparts, much less fight with them."

Brushing aside the criticisms voiced in European capitals, Bush administration officials have repeatedly affirmed the aggressive approach laid out on January 29. USA Today reported on February 12 that "President Bush is lining up support from allies in the Middle East for military action against Iraq." The "allies" include the Russian government, a major Iraqi creditor that has concluded sizable oil deals with Baghdad. Moscow insists that any action must be carried out under the United Nations banner. "No decision has been made about the timing or scope of the campaign," wrote the newspaper.

Quoting a White House official, USA Today noted that "U.S. Vice President Cheney is expected to discuss efforts to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein when [he] visits ten Middle East countries in March."  
 
'The only superpower'
Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher threw her support behind Washington in a February 11 New York Times column entitled "Advice to a Superpower."

"How and when, not whether, to remove [Saddam Hussein in Iraq] are the only important questions," she wrote, predicting that such an effort would likely "involve a massive use of force. America's allies, above all Britain, should extend strong support to President Bush in the decisions he makes on Iraq." The British government of Anthony Blair is the most enthusiastic backer of Washington's war policy among the larger imperialist powers.

Reminding the French and German rulers of the weight of U.S. imperialism in the world, Thatcher wrote that in the war against Afghanistan, America "has proved to itself and to others that it is in truth (not just in name) the only global superpower, indeed a power that enjoys a level of superiority over its actual or potential rivals unmatched by any other nation in modern times."

"As long as America works to maintain its technological lead, there is no reason why any challenge to American dominance should succeed," the Iron Lady wrote, adding that Washington and London should not get "bogged down with ambitious nation building" in Afghanistan.  
 
 
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