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NEW YORK (AP)-- Eight European leaders affirmed gratitude to the United States Thursday and wrote that U.S.-European ties "must not become a casualty" of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's attempts to "threaten world security."
In an indirect reference to opposition by France, Germany and Russia to U.S. plans to disarm Iraq militarily, the leaders of Britain, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Denmark used the op-ed column to thank the United States for "bravery and generosity" in ensuring peace in Europe.
The article, signed by seven prime ministers and one president, was published in Thursday's Wall Street Journal, The Times of London and other European newspapers.
"We must remain united in insisting that his (Saddam's) regime be disarmed. The solidarity, cohesion and determination of the international community are our best hope of achieving this peacefully. Our strength lies in unity," the article said.
The Journal noted the op-ed article in its lead front-page story that said it was a sign of "further shifting (of) the global political calculus toward support for war."
The letter, certain to be a boost to President Bush who has said the diplomatic effort to disarm Saddam has so far failed, said Europe has "a common responsibility to face this threat. Failure to do so would be nothing less that negligent to our own citizens and to the wider world."
The article also warned the United Nations that it must not allow Saddam to violate Security Council Resolution 1441 which returned inspectors to Baghdad in November and gave the Iraqi leader one last chance to disarm or prove that he had destroyed weapons of mass destruction. The resolution said Iraqi defiance would produce "serious consequences."
"It they (U.N. demands) are not complied with, the Security Council will lose its credibility and world peace will suffer as a result. We are confident that the Security Council will face up to its responsibilities," the article concluded.
Secretary of State Colin Powell is to take the Bush Administration's argument to the Security Council Wednesday, possibly revealing additional U.S. intelligence about Iraq's weapons program, in what could be a last effort by Washington to gain U.N. approval for attacking Iraq.
Bush has insisted the United States would lead a "coalition of the willing" against Saddam regardless of Security Council support.
The article was signed by Jose Aznar, Jose-Manuel Durao Barroso, Silvio Berlusconi, Tony Blair, Peter Medgyessy, Leszek Miller and Anders Fogh Rasmussen, prime ministers respectively of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Britain, Hungary, Poland and Denmark. Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech Republic, signed as well.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
