EU foreign ministers meet on Mideast, Syria, Mali

[December 10, 2012]  BRUSSELS (AP) -- Europe's political view of the Mideast has changed profoundly because of Israel's plans to build 3,000 new settler homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said Monday.

Bildt, speaking as European Union foreign ministers gathered to discuss the situation, said the Israeli plans had caused "extreme concern" in the European Union. He referred in particular to the E1 project, which would separate the West Bank from east Jerusalem and drive a wedge between the northern and southern flanks of the West Bank.

"What the Israelis did on E1 has shifted opinions in Europe," Bildt said as he arrived for the meeting. "I don't think the Israelis are aware of this."

The EU views any Israeli settlements on territory occupied during the 1967 Mideast war as a breach of international law.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he expected "the entire EU will be strongly opposed" to the settlement-building.

The 27 EU foreign ministers will also consider the crisis in Syria, where activists say more than 40,000 people have died. Hague said foreign ministers would be briefed by Mouaz al-Khatib, a moderate cleric who heads the new, Western-backed opposition coalition in Syria. Hard-line Islamist groups in the country have not joined the new coalition, and al-Khatib is expected to inform the EU ministers about attempts to unify the Syrian opposition as the coalition seeks greater diplomatic recognition.

The EU does not itself offer formal recognition -- that is left to the individual member countries -- but it has said that the coalition is a legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

Bildt said it was important for EU foreign ministers to send a message of strong support to the opposition, and also to Lakdhar Brahimi, the joint U.N.-Arab League peace envoy for Syria, who Bildt said has been making "good progress."

Bildt said Syria's chemical weapons would be discussed, as well. "In a situation of chaos, it is exceedingly dangerous if these things start floating around in the region," he said.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said many member states have been urging the EU to move forward with bringing war crimes charges against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"We must recognize the terrible situation in Syria and the responsibility he bears for it," Ashton said.

Syria is not a party to the International Criminal Court and the U.N. Security Council has not referred the conflict to the war crimes tribunal.

The foreign ministers will also evaluate plans to send a noncombat EU military training force to Mali, where the government has lost control of the northern part of the country to Islamist groups, igniting fears that terrorists may have free rein to plot attacks on Western targets.

[Associated Press; By DON MELVIN and SLOBODAN LEKIC]

Don Melvin can be reached at
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