EU holds summit to discuss pooling resources in fight against terrorism

Allies

European Union leaders are to stage an emergency counter-terrorism summit on Friday as the alliance of nations that has pledged support for America waits anxiously for a military strike by Washington.

The Belgian presidency of the EU announced yesterday that it has called together the 15 leaders to discuss pooling resources to combat the terrorists. The gathering will be the culmination of this week's frantic diplomacy, which includes a special gathering of justice ministers on Thursday.

Yesterday, officials from France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands discussed exchanging intelligence and working more closely on the detention of suspects, issues at the centre of plans to be agreed on Friday.

Despite the decision of all 19 Nato nations to invoke the alliance's collective security clause for the first time in its history, the rhetoric emanating from capitals has proved far from consistent.

Britain has emerged as one of the most forthright supporters of America and is one of the most likely countries to aid the expected military operation. But its contribution – and that of other European allies – is likely to be of more political, than military, use to Washington, which has overwhelming military firepower.

Yesterday, Tony Blair claimed that there was "complete unanimity, not just across the European Union but I would say across the civilised world, that we need both in our own countries and internationally to decide what are the measures we require in order to hit this international terrorism at every single level, its finances, its method of operation, the dangers that it poses".

Mr Blair will appeal to African leaders to join a worldwide fight against terrorism today when he holds a pre- arranged summit at his Chequers country residence. Tomorrow, he will seek to ensure that Germany rallies strongly behind America when he meets Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in Berlin.

But the mood in many European capitals has been more restrained, indicating that the alliance in support of Washington is broad rather than deep.

While President George Bush described the aftermath of the assaults on his country as "the first war of the 21st century" his European counterparts have tended not to see things the same way.

Lionel Jospin, the French Prime Minister, insisted that "we are not at war against Islam or the Arab-Muslim world", a sentiment endorsed by Louis Michel, the Belgian Foreign Minister. Under pressure from its coalition parties, Belgium entered reservations before signing up to the Article 5 decision in Nato.

Even Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, the Nato secretary general, sidestepped the question of whether Nato was at war, describing it as not "relevant".

The range of, sometimes contradictory, reactions from European capitals suggests that allies want to help to moderate America's reaction by stressing their support and offering long-term political co-operation.

Johannes Rau, the German President, said he did not expect the German army would take part in a military response to the terrorist attacks. "My impression is that it is not called for, rather what is required is support of a logistic nature," he said. Nevertheless, the comments do not bind the government of Mr Schröder, which has left its options open.

Antonio Martino, Italy's Defence Minister, said yesterday his country "will do anything we are asked to do ... We will deploy troops if we are asked to do that. We will use aircraft if we are asked to do that." At the weekend, Mr Martino had taken a more negative line, suggesting a deployment only if necessary.

Caution has also been the hallmark of Russia despite what it sees as a common interest in fighting Islamic fundamentalist terrorism. Sergei Ivanov, the Russian Defence Minister, argues that "one can speak of retaliatory measures only once those who are guilty are known and the facts are established". He has ruled out a strike on Afghanistan from the former Soviet satellite states on the border.

Russia's main military assets in central Asia are in Tajikistan, where it maintains a force larger than that deployed by the Tajik government. This consists of 8,200 men of the 201st Motorised Rifle Division and 14,500 Russian border guards.

Australia, which suffered its biggest loss of life in any peacetime disaster in the attack on the World Trade Centre, is emerging as one of America's most unconditional allies.

John Howard, the Prime Minister, who was on an official visit to Washington when the terrorists struck, has invoked the 1951 Anzus military treaty to underline Canberra's readiness to "stand shoulder to shoulder" with its ally. The treaty equates an attack on either Australia or America with an attack on both. The government has already agreed to an American request to extend the assignment of an Australian navy frigate now stationed in the Gulf.