Largely lost in the wave of anti-European Union fervor sweeping through Europe in the wake of the United Kingdom’s historic Brexit vote to leave the union is the rejection by most Europeans of the EU’s common foreign policy that runs counter to the interests of Europeans. Not only has the EU supported sanctions against Russia that have financially decimated European farmers and factory workers and welcomed millions of mainly Muslim migrants to Europe from U.S.-created civil wars in the Middle East and South Asia, but now it encourages many Muslim militants in Europe to return to Syria. In Syria, they continue to wage war against the government of President Bashar al Assad and his allies.
Recently, Danish Defense Minister Peter Christensen spelled out NATO’s policy with regard to Islamist fighters in Syria and Iraq, many with groups allied with the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. Christensen said the new Danish policy was for Danish fighters in Iraq and Syria to set off bombs in areas where there are civilian populations. Therefore, Denmark now supports, with the EU’s blessing, the harming of civilians in Syria and Iraq by Danish nationals.
Christensen’s actual quote before the Danish parliament was: “Her har regeringen samtidig besluttet at indføre en procedure, som betyder, at kampfly må bombe i områder, hvor man på forhånd ved, at der vil være civile tab,” which translates to civilians are now fair game.
Under the EU’s common foreign policy, which is overseen by EU Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini, Denmark could not have undertaken such a policy without the EU’s concurrence. Europe has been plagued with EU nationals who have fought against Assad in the Syrian civil war returning to Europe to carry out terrorist attacks in France and Belgium. More than 100 jihadist veterans from the Syrian war have returned to Belgium alone. Around 200 Belgian jihadists remain in Syria.
EUROPOl’s chief, Rob Wainwright, has estimated some 5,000 jihadists have returned to Europe from Syria and Iraq. Assassinated West Yorkshire Labor Party MP Jo Cox, who had been deselected by her party to stand for re-election, a move comparable to an incumbent congressman losing a primary in the United States, was a noted champion for the rights of Syrian refugees and those who championed their cause, including the jihadist fighters transiting between Syria and Europe.
The EU’s out-of-synch foreign policy is, along with its financial and social policies, feeding the move in Europe to scrap the EU. Movements in nine EU nations have now demanded that their countries be afforded exit referenda: Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Austria, France, Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, and Portugal.
Previously published in the Wayne Madsen Report.
Copyright © 2016 WayneMadenReport.com
Wayne Madsen is a Washington, DC-based investigative journalist and nationally-distributed columnist. He is the editor and publisher of the Wayne Madsen Report (subscription required).
