The United States and the European Union: On the Brink of the Transatlantic Rift?

In 2002–3, the Iraqi crisis made clear that the United States and its allies in Europe are increasingly at odds. Germany and France were the most vocal opponents of American policy, with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder winning reelection in September 2002 largely due to his firm opposition to German participation in any war in Iraq, and President Jacques Chirac vowing on 10 March 2003 to veto UN approval for an attack. 1 While Prime Minister Tony Blair sent troops in support of Saddam Hussein’s overthrow, and many European governments offered at least rhetorical support for the operation, public opinion in Europe strongly preferred maintaining inspections rather than using military force to achieve regime change in Iraq. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.