JAVIER SOLANA AND BERNARD KOUCHNER OR JAVIER SOLANA VS. BERNARD KOUCHNER?

Bernard Kouchner, Condoleezza Rice, and Javier Solana: together!

WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S GOING ON . . .
"THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE -- WHAT IT IS AIN'T EXACTLY CLEAR"

Today the news is that the European foreign ministers (translate ‘Javier Solana’) have approved the deployment of a three thousand man army (3,000) to supplement a 26,000 “joint African Union – UN peacekeeping force” in Darfur.

Interestingly, the spokesman for this as reported at least in Yahoo’s news service was French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. Bernard Kouchner and Javier Solana have been fast friends for many years. Interestingly, Kouchner was the founder of Physicians without Borders.

The African peacekeeping operations were previously covered by AMIS (African Union Mission in Sudan). Strong statements were issued by Javier Solana about an attack on that mission on September 30th. On that date he said:

I strongly condemn the attack on the AMIS peacekeeping forces in Haskanita in Darfur and fully support the statement made earlier today by the Chairman of the Ceasefire Commission, General Martin Luther Agwai, in this regard. The attack is unjustifiable and constitutes a grave violation of the ceasefire agreement. It comes at a particularly sensitive moment shortly before the launch of renewed peace talks on Darfur and the transition from AMIS to the AU/UN hybrid operation, UNAMID. I urge all parties to act responsibly, to desist from acts of violence and to respect the ceasefire and focus on the upcoming peace talks".

Now what is interesting to me is why Solana’s name is not appearing, as usually is the case, on the reports of this operation? Is he laying low? Has there been a coupe and Bernard Kouchner is the new czar of European foreign policy? If Solana is keeping a lowered media profile, why?
Javier Solana was very publicly involved with the Darfur crisis in August of this year (2007). Read about that here. It was Darfur that Angelina Jolie and Javier Solana were discussing in their combo meeting/photo op on September 27th.

And in a recent United States Department sponsored session, Bernard Kouchner went out his way to say that it was Javier Solana in charge of "these processes":

FOREIGN MINISTER KOUCHNER: Yes. So there are three paths. There is the traditional, diplomatic path which we are following with contacts that are maintained and discussions that are underway. As far as the EU, of course, it's Javier Solana who is charge of this process. But there are many foreign affairs ministers who are talking with the Iranians, (inaudible), in particular. We are continuing to follow this path. And as Condi said, there is the path that goes through the Security Council of the United Nations. And we may hope that there will be a third resolution to reinforce the sanctions which, up until now, have not been very effective . . ."

Dr. Bernard Kouchner is an interesting individual in and of himself. He was described by former UN head Boutrous-Boutrous Ghali as being “an unguided missile.” He is known for very much being his own man. He surprised many recently by telling France that they should prepare for the possibility of war against Iran. Like Javier Solana and Germany’s Joschka Fischer, he is a tough and able member of the “Class of ’68.” CNN reported that he had a reputation for challenging convention and authority.

It appears that Bernard Kouchner is taking an increasingly assertive role in European foreign policy. Whether he is doing so with or without Javier Solana’s blessings is the question. Kouchner is distinctly more photogenic than Solana. If he has gone out on his own, he may be perceived to Solana to be as much as a threat as his old friend Tony Blair turned out to seemingly be. If this is the case, Kouchner could be a threat to Solana’s hegemony indeed. The CNN story concluded:

Perhaps the strongest lesson though from Mr Kouchner's intervention is his underlining that the new administration in France is not a knee-jerk anti-American one -- and that France is in the business of reclaiming a role at the top diplomatic tables.

Dr. Bernard Kouchner is an interesting individual in and of himself. He was described by former UN head Boutrous-Boutrous Ghali as being “an unguided missile.” He is known for very much being his own man. He surprised many recently by telling France that they should prepare for the possibility of war against Iran. Like Javier Solana and Germany’s Joschka Fischer, he is a tough and able member of the “Class of ’68.” CNN reported that he had a reputation for challenging convention and authority.

If that account is accurate, it is conceivable that Javier Solana may perceive of his old friend Bernard Kouchner as a threat. On the other hand, he could also be a useful tool for letting the USA think they had more European support than is actually the case.

Also, France’s role in this entire picture is intriguing. Benjamin Crème long boasted, since the late 1970’s, that his “Maitreya the Christ” would partially take a prominent role on the world stage with a fusion energy project. The EU in general and Javier Solana in particular has long taken a center spot in just such a global project with the ITER (rhymes with “bitter”) project with main equipment being located at Cadarache, France. That is also the site of France’s nuclear weapons production. Interestingly, one of their more euphoric predictions as well as those of the project's more pessimistic followers is that they will bring fire from heaven down upon earth!

It is increasingly apparent to me that European nations have been handing as much power as they have to Dr. Solana to equalize themselves with the USA. If Kouchner is indeed going against the grain of this with the support of his Prime Minister Sarkozy, things evidently are not quite as cozy for Dr. Solana as he once assumed. Or maybe they are. Or maybe Sarkozy and Kouchner are now getting in the way. Or maybe they are all players in "The Armageddon Script." Time and events will tell.

At any rate, the party is getting disturbing not to mention interesting.

For my internet program listeners, and all are invited, John Loeffler, long time host of Steel on Steel, will be my guest tomorrow, October 16, 2007, on MY PERSPECTIVE, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 2 p.m. Pacific time on http://www.themicroeffect.com/. Tune in and stay tuned!