Can Dr Rice's trip close rift with Europe?

The purpose of the trip was to lay out the conciliatory approach of the second Bush administration to major European nations that was insultingly referred to at one stage by the US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as "Old Europe." The expression may be interpreted as suggesting that "Old Europe" has no importance to the Bush administration just as an old person is of no interest to an employer.

The implication of the term "Old Europe" continues to remain in the minds of the people of France and Germany and does not seem to go away. It is simply because the expression was nothing but reflection of America's arrogance of power and dominance in the world. As West Virginia Democrat Senator Byrd said: "We flaunt our super power status with arrogance." France and Germany have been deeply hurt of America's arrogance of power.

The second Bush administration found that they need Europe for Iraq and for combating terrorism globally. So does the trip signify a new era in US foreign relations with Europe?

It seems that differences are deep between the Bush administration and the major powers of Europe on many fronts. Some of them deserve mention.

First, in 2003, Rice was quoted as telling President Bush to "punish France, ignore Germany, and forgive Russia." (Dr. Rice did her PhD on Soviet Russia and obviously she has a soft spot for Russia). Many political analysts say that her hard line stance seems to be in her nature, partly because she wants to prove that she is as efficient as any other American because of her background. To her, efficiency means that she needs to be both tough and conservative in her outlook. She is known to be tenacious and opinionated, with a ready smile. At one stage in the late 80s, she told a belligerent Boris Yeltsin (while Gorbachev was in power) to go home while she worked with President Bush, Sr.

Second, the Bush administration believes in hard power. Hard power means military strength solves problems, while Europe believes in soft power. Soft power is basically to "win hearts and minds" of people, not by military power but by aid, cooperation, and engagement. Europe has moved beyond power into transnational negotiation and cooperation.

Robert Kagan in his book Paradise and Power (2002) concluded that Americans were from Mars and Europeans from Venus. He argued that, "On all important questions of power -- the efficacy of power, the morality of power, the desirability of power --Americans and European perspectives are diverging."

Third, the Bush administration ditched the Kyoto Protocol on environment, unsigned the Statute of International Criminal Court, and withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The US has been non-cooperative in banning land mines and in the inspection regime of national laboratories under the Chemical Weapons Convention. The Europeans responded to these moves with a mixture of anguish and pique. Public opinion in Europe shows consistently widespread opposition to Bush's foreign policy. They believe that President Bush made decisions based entirely on US interests, without taking Europe into consideration.

Fourth, differences on Iran have emerged between the Bush administration and Europe. The US believes that negotiation with Iran is a non-starter, while European nations want to deeply engage Iran in not using nuclear facilities for weapons. The US wants the case of Iran referred to the UN Security Council. An intrinsic problem is that under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran is entitled to develop the full nuclear fuel cycle, including enriching uranium that could be diverted into weapons. The President of Iran made it clear in a statement on February 10 that Iran would not give up this right, nor would it be intimidated by pressures from the US.

If sanctions are imposed on Iran by the Security Council (Russia and China may veto the resolution), then the only alternative left for Iran appears to be to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty. That will provide Iran the right to refuse to permit UN inspectors from IAEA to visit its nuclear facilities. (North Korea did exactly that when the Bush administration suspended the supply of oil to North Korea). The tougher action gets tougher response, like Newton's law of motion, "To every action, there is always an opposing reaction." Furthermore, Iran is not weak Iraq of 2003, it is a regional military power endowed with large human and natural resources.

There is also a sharp divide on China too. The Bush administration is alarmed at European Union plans to lift an arms embargo on China. Administration officials in Washington fear that some EU countries will soon begin selling weapons to China and that raises questions about the security of Taiwan and sending wrong signals to China, with its dubious record on human rights. China wants to diversify its source of acquisition of weapons as it currently heavily depends on Russia.

Finally, unless the Bush administration treats Europe on equal terms, European leaders will be polite but will be hesitant to cooperate with the Bush administration. French President Chirac passionately believes in a multi-polar world for stability and peace. He reportedly said that Europe wants this world to be multi-polar and to make sure that each pole makes well-balanced decisions.

Dr. Rice during her confirmation hearing in front of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee reportedly said, 'The time for diplomacy is now." Consistent with her remark, Rice's trip is an attempt to show to the outside world that US and Europe are united again in purpose and in action. The starting point for European leaders of major powers and the Bush administration appears to be different and their strategy is not the same.

Dr. Rice's first name came from an adaptation of the Italian phrase for "condolcezza" -- playing with sweetness -- in piano music (she is a great pianist). But her sweet talk at various European capitals is not likely wash with many European leaders, simply because President Bush has not changed his ideas, only his strategy because of difficulties in Iraq.

Barrister Harun ur Rashid is a former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.