REPAIRING U.S. - EUROPEAN RELATIONS
Overview:
The purpose of this program is to assess the state of relations between the United States and Europe, to analyze the reasons for present difficulties and suggest ways of repairing the relationship.
Euro-American Relations have been profoundly affected by several factors:
- The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War have made the U.S. and Europe more independent of each other. Cooperation is no longer as urgently necessary as during the time when Soviet armed forces were massed only 25 miles across a plain from Hamburg.
- The accelerated pace of European unification, including the creation of a common currency, has made the European Union an economic giant roughly equal to the U.S. in the global economy and capable of acting with impressive unity as an economic partner and sometime rival. The beginning of a Common Foreign and Security Policy has also inspired many Europeans to believe that they can assume a leadership role on the world stage.
- The attack of 9/11 created deep divisions between the U.S. and Europe, particularly as regards the nature of the threat of terrorism and appropriate policy for dealing with the Islamic world. The American decision to use force in Iraq without an explicit mandate from the United Nations Security Council split official Europe; it was unpopular even in nations whose governments supported the U.S.
The outcome of the Iraq conflict is uncertain. The U.S. and Europe have a common interest in preventing Iraq from collapsing into civil war and chaos. If Islamic fundamentalists were somehow to come to power in Iraq and use it as a base for worldwide military operations, Europeans would suffer as much or even (because of proximity) more than Americans. But efforts to coordinate policy in a series of summits have been disappointing so far. European public opinion is hostile to the Bush administration and increasingly to the U.S. itself. By the time this conference takes place, we will know whether or not the present administration will continue in office. But underlying discord created by a new balance of power in the world will have to be confronted by whoever wins the November election.
Among the questions or issues to be discussed at the conference are the following: What are the underlying reasons for Euro-American discord predating the Iraqi conflict? Is it disagreement over the role of the United Nations--or a tendency on the part of Americans and Europeans to disregard the interests of the other side--or an overly ambitious American policy aimed at democratizing Iraq and the Middle East--or a European aversion to any action that disturbs the status quo or arouses Arab nationalism? Is the European Union capable of offering an alternative policy and assuming a leadership role? The discussion will conclude with a final question: What can be done to repair the Euro-American relationship?
The agenda will include an overview of U.S.-European relations; a special focus on the conflict in Iraq, identifying areas of agreement and disagreement; and suggestions for possible courses of action.
Click here for more information on NCAFP's website.
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