The EU’s Dangerous New Security Policy
This summer, the InternationalHerald Tribune released a startling article on the European Union that should have been splashed across newspaper headlines everywhere.
The article, written by Barry James, reported that European Union leaders have recently adopted new secrecy rules that limit the public’s right to know what EU officials are doing on a wide range of military and civilian matters. The European Council, the Brussels-based administration representing EU governments, ratified the rules at the request of Javier Solana, the secretary general of the council and the EU’s high representative for foreign and security affairs.
The article said, “The rules, adopted in an unpublicized written procedure in Brussels while the European Parliament was on vacation, are likely to cause a political uproar…particularly because Parliament is currently attempting to increase rather than decrease openness on EU matters…” (Aug. 26).
According to the newly adopted rules, information may be withheld from EU citizens on a broad range of security issues: public security, the security and defense of the Union or one of its member states, military or nonmilitary crisis management, international relations, monetary stability, trade policy, court proceedings, inspections and investigations. Even low-level information would be classified if it concerned a non-EU country, and would be released only if that country’s government gave written permission.
However, the secrecy rules directly oppose the government’s repeated promises of greater openness in its decision-making. What’s more, the rules will now enable nato and non-EU governments to veto disclosure of EU documents. The new security code also clashes with a commitment in the 1997 Amsterdam Treaty that upholds the rights of citizens of EU countries to have access to EU documents. Furthermore, it modifies an European Council decision on the mandatory public registration of its documents.
Britta Lejon, the minister responsible for public access to documents in Sweden, said she found the council’s action “distressing,” adding that although secrets had to be kept, this did not mean that whole categories of documents had to be concealed.
The British civil rights monitoring group Statewatch made similar remarks, and said that the decision would “impinge in a major way” on EU citizens.
The EU’s new secrecy rules undoubtedly violate citizens’ rights. What is truly scandalous, however, is the manner in which those rules were enacted this summer—and what impact the EU’s control over the flow of information will have on the democratic peoples of Europe.
Hidden Agenda
One London-based newspaper reported on how the new secrecy rules came about. Apparently, Javier Solana had the rules “drawn up in secret” and “in cooperation with his successor as nato secretary general, Lord [George] Robertson” (The Guardian, Aug. 31).
Why would such a drastic policy change need to be kept under wraps? And brought about without the consent of Parliament?
Even more amazing is that the newly concocted information policy was rushed straight onto EU law books on August 23 via “written procedure”—a sort of executive order which actually prevents dispute by the members of the European Parliament!
Now that the secrecy code has been ratified by the European Council, about all the meps can do is raise a general ruckus—it’s already too late for them to effectively change the EU’s new information policy!
How’s that for democracy?
Already, several groups have denounced the council’s decision.
Jacob Soderman, the European ombudsman (official government complaints investigator), spoke out strongly against the new policy. He said it was unnecessary, and a mistake to lump together military and nonmilitary issues. In an interview with the Finnish newspaper Aamulehti, he said that he felt Mr. Solana’s appointment had been a “serious mistake.”
The general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, Aidan White, labeled the EU’s underhanded move as a nato-led “summertime coup” that “brings in secrecy by the back door.” The less-restrictive information policy drafted by the European Commission, which had been in European Parliament discussions before their summer break, would have been quite adequate, the journalist federation said.
Hans Verploeg, general secretary of the Netherlands Association of Journalists, also condemned the EU decision as a “military coup—so clever in the middle of summertime.” He pointed out that the new laws in Brussels run contrary to the situation in his country, which has an American-style Freedom of Information Act. The Netherlands, which has enjoyed an open style of government for many years, will now have to conform to the more closed standards of the rest of Europe, he said.
The Netherlands has said they will open legal proceedings against the council’s secrecy code. Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesman Floris van Hovell said, “We decided to fight this [decision] because we don’t believe all information should be kept secret. We want complete openness if it’s possible” (AP Worldstream, Sept. 25). Simply, the Dutch want secrecy to be an exception and not the rule.
The European Parliament, now returned from their mid-year break, is also considering taking legal action against the council decision. Yet, it appears their hands are already tied by the secretly conducted “written procedure.”
The Real Reason for Secrecy
Despite opposition, the European Council argued that theirs and Mr. Solana’s abrupt move was justified.
“Just imagine we were putting together a strategy for an EU defense against an attack by Libya,” said one council official. “You wouldn’t want people even to know you were dealing with that kind of information…. And you can imagine hundreds of situations like that.”
The council has admitted that their new secrecy policy would also cover plans to set up a 5,000-strong EU paramilitary police force and a rapid reaction force, which could be used to quell “violence,…armed conflicts” and “massive population movements” after a Kosovo-type conflict. The force is slated to be ready by 2003 to undertake operations in which the U.S. does not wish to participate.
The EU force reportedly will be able to carry out operations within and outside of Europe, fielding up to 60,000 men simultaneously with over 150,000 others in reserve. The Euroforce is also expected to include 80 warships and between 300 and 400 aircraft; its headquarters operations could be in place as early as March 2001—a full two years ahead of schedule. The headquarters would support a command staff of 90 officers, plus additional support staff.
On September 18, ABC News reported that “the United States, which initially viewed the EU force warily as a possible competitor to Washington-dominated nato, now backs the concept and has even suggested it should have even more ambitious goals concerning force size and equipment…” (emphasis mine).
The European Security and Defense Force is the real reason behind the need for secrecy. And who is pushing for a defense force the strongest? Germany. They, under the guise of the EU, have slowly and methodically planned their moves to power; and have purposely waited to develop a military force until near last.
In order to do this they first had to set up a European trade economy; next, a government had to be established to oversee trading. After the EU Parliament was put into place, then came the perceived need of a common currency—the euro.
European military union is fast becoming the successor to monetary union as the next big idea for Europe. Article J1 of the Treaty on European Union, which was instituted seven years ago, specifically states: “The Union and its member states shall define and implement a common foreign and security policy, governed by the provisions of the time and covering all areas of foreign and security policy….”
In the May 1998 Trumpet, we reported, “This is perhaps the most dangerous clause of all contained in the Treaty on European Union! It is this clause within the Maastricht Treaty, daughter of the old Pact of Rome, that spawned the European Union, which the EU leaders will use to legitimize their creation of a powerful combined military force that will startle the world with the ferocity of its future ‘peacekeeping’ missions!”
At their Cologne summit earlier this year, Europe’s leaders further committed themselves to creating a fully operational European military and announced their decision “to take the necessary decisions by the end of the year 2000” to make such a military a reality. They specifically mentioned the need to expand EU “intelligence, strategic transport and command and control.”
European Commission President Romano Prodi has maintained that establishing a unified European military will be his legacy. Gerhard Schröder of Germany, Lionel Jospin of France and Massimo D’Alema of Italy are all pushing for a European military.
What the German-led EU has achieved politically, socially, culturally and economically in recent years is becoming obvious to the whole world. The initial achievements were not blatantly obvious. Slowly but surely, however, certain covert actions are being revealed—such as the new secrecy policy.
The truth is, many of our leaders have either forgotten about or don’t really understand the history of Europe’s—primarily Germany’s—elite fighting forces! In addition, the majority of the American and British press and their readers are asleep to what is clearly, albeit deceitfully, happening in Europe!
Anti-Democracy
The Council of Ministers’ legislation on the control of information in the EU truly ought to concern all democratic-loving people. How can the citizens of the EU know what its government is up to if they—or their Parliament—can no longer have access to defense or security documents?
Throughout history, so many scandals, crises and sensational events have had their origin in government secrecy. Communism thrives on secrecy, as does National Socialism. Certainly, the EU’s lock-down on information is an example of classic fascism in action!
World War ii actually began with the psychological warfare of propaganda, infiltration, subversion and demoralization that was proffered by a restriction on the public’s knowledge of what was truly happening at the top! Plainly, these are the same tactics being employed by today’s EU council and Mr. Solana—and these tactics will eventually lead to World War iii!
God’s word, the Holy Bible, has much to say about the future of Germany and the nations of Europe. You’ll find these plans prophesied in Daniel 2 and 7, and even more specifically in Revelation 13 and 17. The building up of the German-led EU—which will eventually consolidate into a group of ten nations or ten power blocs—is the final resurrection of the ancient Holy Roman Empire.
Throughout history, Germany has usually been the military will and power behind the Holy Roman Empire. As our editor in chief wrote in the May Trumpet, “It is time for the entire world to wake up to what is happening in Europe. That empire is the greatest physical danger on this Earth today!”
At the right moment, a few short months or years from now, the new leader of this European combine will appear suddenly in the public eye. He is already in action behind the scenes, but he still works under cover. Prophecy does not specifically identify the man. He could be a German. However, we won’t have to wait much longer to find out!
Daniel 11:21 says this new führer will come in by secrecy and flatteries—using tactics not unlike the current leader of the EU. He will deceive people into believing he is a “peacemaker,” but his real purpose will be to make war!