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EU Terrorism List Creates Harmony, Rewards -- and Problems
May 7, 2002
Summary
The European Union has added 11 new groups to its list of foreign terrorist organizations. The additions bring the EU's list closer to that of the U.S. State Department and will serve to enhance European relations with nations like Turkey and Iran. However, cooperation over specific groups will not translate into an identical stance on the issue of state sponsors of terrorism, a key source of disagreement between Washington and Brussels.
Analysis
The European Union added 18 individuals and organizations to its list of foreign terrorist groups May 2. The two most prominent additions were the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), an Iranian rebel group backed by Iran, and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) based in Turkey.
By recognizing the MKO and PKK as terrorist groups, Europe will strengthen its relations with Tehran and Ankara and possibly reconcile its list with that of the U.S. State Department. By doing so, Brussels can facilitate cooperation and intelligence-sharing with Washington on terrorism issues. But cooperation on specific terror groups does not translate into agreement over how or if to engage nations the United States labels terrorism sponsors -- especially Iran and Syria. This disagreement could hamper wider cooperation between the two allies in the near future.
The United States and Europe are close allies in the war against terrorism. They have expanded efforts to share intelligence, collaborate on tracking the financial networks of militant groups and arrest alleged terrorists. But as Washington attempts to bully or coerce suspected state sponsors of terrorism in political and security matters, Europe is less likely to want to help. Success in the war on terrorism will depend, at least in part, on continued collaboration. Issues that divide Washington and Brussels could substantively impact the prosecution of the war.
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Dan
EU Terrorism List Creates Harmony, Rewards -- and Problems . . .