Brussels, 08/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - High Representative for CFSP Javier Solana pointed out that he had been briefed on Sunday afternoon by US Secretary of State Colin Powell on the military action that the US was about to undertake in Afghanistan, and that he had "immediately informed the EU Council Presidency thereafter". Mr Solana said Sunday's military action was "legitimate" and would "contribute to making the world a safer place, but will give the Afghan people a better chance to determine their own future". He noted that the Afghan people "have been badly served by the Taliban regime and deserve better".
European Commission President Romano Prodi stressed in a statement that "we are united, and will remain united, in this struggle against those who attack the very foundations of civilisation. Our fight is not against religions or peoples". He went on to add that he had asked Chris Patten to "immediately coordinate external actions for which the European Commission has responsibility", in order to mobilise EU humanitarian aid from Monday evening on (see other article).
The United States have "riposted in what seems to me an appropriate and targeted manner", said European Parliament President Nicole Fontaine. She believes it is "extremely important for large-scale humanitarian action in favour of the Afghan population to be carried out at the same time". Ms Fontaine gave her assurance that the European Parliament would "use its budgetary authority to amplify EU action along these lines". She repeated that it is "vital for all political decision-makers, but also religious and cultural leaders, to pool their efforts so that this conflict is not seen as a war of civilisations" (see below, on the subject of the extraordinary meeting of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Forum).
The President of the Socialist Group, Enrique Baron said that for European Socialists the American military operations "against military objectives in Afghanistan" were legitimate, according to international rules that allow a country to defend itself if aggressed" and that they had to go hand in hand with a humanitarian programme, "which has to be an integral part of this retaliation".