By Nicola Smith - 17th March 2004
Every country in the EU is at risk from an attack from Al Qaida, Romano Prodi has warned.
In an interview with the Irish Independent, the European Commission chief said that Islamic terrorists lacked the logic to target only the countries that supported the war in Iraq.
“Both emotionally and physically, I feel we are all in danger, but we have all the possibilities to defend ourselves by sticking together, putting in new rules and exchanging information,” he said.
“We are all European, I don’t make any distinction between old and new Europe or those participating in the war or not.”
“We must react because we are all in danger,” Prodi said, pointing out that it was impossible to enter the minds of potential attackers.
“They have a logic that is not our logic.”
Prodi stressed that major events such as the Athens Olympics and the EU/US summit in June should go ahead as a signal that terrorists would not undermine society.
“Please, we cannot stop our lives, we have to go on,” he urged.
And the commission president pressed for both the EU and America to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, which gave “fuel” to terrorists.
Prodi also stressed the importance of a swift deal to introduce a new solidarity pact at a meeting of EU leaders next week to improve Europe’s ability to respond to international terrorism.
“This is not a priority but a pre-condition, this will nurture the spirit of cooperation. With the solidarity pact you create a climate in which you can work,” he said.
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