2-23-05, 9:00am

From Morning Star

US diplomats and George W Bush's apologists on this side of the Atlantic try to portray the US president's visit to Europe as a bridge-building exercise.

But no-one should make the mistake of believing that Mr Bush is prepared to trim his policies in order to build a consensus with those countries he has referred sneeringly to as 'old Europe.'

Nor will he renege on the so-called 'democratic imperialism' approach at the heart of the Project for a New American Century that was drawn up by Washington's aggressive neoconservatives.

The US president will attempt to schmooze the European leaders into accepting his view of the world and their place within it as the unquestioning supporters of his administration's drive to mould the world into an image of the US.

But that is unlikely for several reasons, not least the fact that France, Russia and Germany know that Washington's interests do not always coincide with their own.

They are also aware that public opinion is at odds with subservience to the US – a reality that has seen public trust in Tony Blair's integrity plummet in the wake of his unshakeable devotion to President Bush.

Most people are aware that Mr Blair's attempts to 'draw a line under Iraq' are utterly dishonest, since the occupation goes on and Mr Bush intends that Iraq will not be the last 'humanitarian' invasion.

Far from being abashed by the enormity of the crime and the scale of the bloodshed caused by the invasion of Iraq, he revels in having 'firmly planted the flag of liberty' there.

When asked if he plans to launch fresh invasions, Mr Bush insists that diplomatic initiatives are on the table now.

However, he claims, no-one would expect him to rule out the 'option' of force.
What option is this? Using military force to secure political ends, without the sanction of the United Nations, is illegal. It is a war crime, but the US administration, backed up by new Labour, acts as though international law does not apply to it.

The US president feels that he has the right to lecture Syria that it must withdraw its troops from Lebanon, 'end all support for terror and open the door to freedom.'

Similarly, even though Washington continues to develop all manner of weapons of mass destruction, as does its regional surrogate Israel, Mr Bush threatens the Iranian government over its supposed nuclear weapons programme and flaunts his intention to see regime change.

As with Iraq under Saddam Hussein, no progressive person could identify with the reactionary 'theocracy' in Tehran, but it is not the business of the US world policeman to invade or subvert the authorities there.

It is the preserve of the Iranian people to chart their own path not to have it distorted, as before, by US intervention.

President Bush's visit to win backing for his aggressive strategy emphasises the correctness of the Stop the War Coalition's decision to headline the demand for No More Bush Wars at the March 19 marches to demand an end to the occupation of Iraq.

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