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Snubbing an insurance policy someone else will pay for.

That, in essence, is the position of two MEPs, Tobias Pflüger of the extreme left grouping and Achille Occhetto ('Achilles - you're a heel') of the Socialists, although he would appear to be on a mini break from the Communists.

What they are not very keen on is the prospective missile shield which our American friends are proposing to site in Poland and the Czech Republic.

"
Two experts in missile defence - Dr. Patricia Sanders from the US Missile defence agency and Peter Flory - Assistant Secretary General for defence investment at NATO, both agreed on the need for the system. Dr. Sanders spoke of a "real and growing threat" and said that it would be prudent to have "a defensive option instead of pre-emptive strikes and retaliations". Two MEPs - Italian Socialist Achille Occheto and Tobias Pflüger, a German member of the European United Left (GUE/NGL) strongly disagreed. They expressed doubts on the probability of the threat". Source .

Is there a threat from the likes of Iran? Quite possibly, but even if one doubted that there was one, how bright is it to shun the offer of free insurance?

Meanwhile, the dear old EU illustrates the item with this less than relevant image, called '
US firepower in action':


Now why would it do something like that, eh?

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Anonymous Anonymous said... 2:09 pm

Not quite on topic, but boo bloody hoo! The Live Earth (or whatever it's called) anti-global warming concert in Rio has been cancelled. Oh, dear, the poor residents of Rio are not going to be able to enjoy a superiorityfest while grooving along with Lenny Kravitz, Macy Gray and Pharrell Williams. (No. I don't know who they are, either.)

Tee hee.  



Blogger Croydonian said... 2:11 pm

Should cut down on hot air at least....  



Anonymous Anonymous said... 2:31 pm

Well,you do have a point.

The official reason given was, Rio does not have the number of police to cope with a crowd of 700,000. Frankly, I cannot imagine any city that does. (Or they could just use the British method with Brazilians and shoot them. In fact, I think they do.)  



Blogger CityUnslicker said... 10:00 pm

why does the EU have to be against everything the US is for?

I don't recall the US threatening us with military invasion in the last few years...  



Blogger Old BE said... 10:46 pm

Because that for many is the EU's raison d'etre - rather depressingly.

Luckily the EU will have no decision making "competence" in whether the missile shield goes ahead, surely it is up to the relevant countries' defence strategy?  



Blogger Old BE said... 10:46 pm

ps aren't all the Rio police busy fighting in the favelas?  



Anonymous Anonymous said... 2:11 am

Ed, I've got this idea that favelas are an enticing Middle Eastern snack,possibly involving aubergine slices, feta and olive oil on a piece of flat bread. Am I wrong?  



Blogger James Higham said... 6:15 am

We are also not too over-enamoured of the defence shield from where we stand.  



Blogger Old BE said... 7:08 am

Are you thinking of falafel? :-)  



Blogger Croydonian said... 9:10 am

Blimey, congrats on the elevation to the peerage James. Now where are my copies of Burke's and the Almanach de Gotha?

Terrible old jokes dept: "I ate some Levantine food an hour ago and now I falafel".....  



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