home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
TIME: Almanac 1990s
/
Time_Almanac_1990s_SoftKey_1994.iso
/
time
/
102891
/
1028005.000
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-03-25
|
2KB
|
45 lines
<text id=91TT2376>
<title>
Oct. 28, 1991: World Notes:European Community
</title>
<history>
TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1991
Oct. 28, 1991 Ollie North:"Reagan Knew Everything"
</history>
<article>
<source>Time Magazine</source>
<hdr>
WORLD, Page 76
World Notes
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
And Now, a Euroarmy
</hdr><body>
<p> With the cold war over, it hardly seems time to start
building an all-new army in Europe. Yet France and Germany are
doing just that. President Francois Mitterrand and Chancellor
Helmut Kohl last week proposed the creation of an all-European
army, starting with a small Franco-German brigade that is
already in existence and eventually comprising troops from all
the nine nations in the Western European Union. Staunch
Atlanticists initially opposed the idea: British Foreign
Secretary Douglas Hurd called it an unnecessary "duplication" of
NATO. But others, including the U.S.--which is not a member of
the WEU and thus has the most influence to lose--were more
restrained. Some diplomats suggested that a Euroarmy could play
a role in future gulf-style conflicts, as long as the Atlantic
Alliance is not weakened.
</p>
<p> The basis of the proposed army is a 4,200-troop Franco-
German brigade based near Stuttgart that can barely be called a
joint force. Its soldiers carry different rifles, wear their
own national uniforms and operate in separate battalions.
Expanding so fractious a concept to an army corps of about
35,000 to 40,000 soldiers could take years. Creating a full army
could take a generation. By that time, with any luck, it will
no longer be needed.
</p>
</body></article>
</text>