Anti-war EU states seek defence pact without UK

The move reopened EU rifts hours after the 15 leaders had papered over their splits with a statement pledging support for UN humanitarian relief efforts and urging Iraq’s neighbours, in a warning to EU candidate Turkey, not to make mischief.

The European Commission earmarked emergency aid totalling $105 million.

Asked whether he regretted attacks on Paris British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: ‘‘I stand by the words I have used. I don’t regret the fact that we have argued, that we disagree with the French position, because we do,’’ he said.

French President Jacques Chirac, struck a philosophical note, insisting that he did not see Britain as an adversary. ‘‘Things are not black and white. Europe has never been a bed of roses,’’ he said. But Chirac also made clear that France would veto any new UN resolutions backing the war at this stage and would oppose granting Washington and London administrative power in Iraq.

The rift in the EU appeared to have one immediate consequence with the tripartite defence initiative apparently designed to isolate Britain. Although German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder insisted no country would be excluded from a common defence policy, Belgian officials said only three were invited to the initial summit.

Schroeder said the initiative would boost European defence industries and could one day lead to common EU armed forces. Verhofstadt said he hoped to meet Chirac and Schroeder in Brussels in April ‘‘to try to start putting our ideas into practice,’’ adding that Luxembourg might also join in.

UK’s Europe Minister Denis Macshane said: ‘‘I wonder how serious is the idea of basing European defence on Belgium without Britain. European defence is a matter of two countries that have military capacities: France and Britain.’’ (Reuters)