EU woos Iran with coalition deal

The EU delegation is rallying support for the US

Senior European Union officials are in Iran as part of attempts to build a global coalition against terrorism following the attacks on New York and Washington.

We have a very clear view that you can't distinguish between good terrorists and bad terrorists

Chris Patten
EU External Affairs Commissioner

The delegation, headed by Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, has meetings scheduled with President Mohammad Khatami and Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi.

The EU officials arrived in Tehran on Tuesday from Pakistan, on the second leg of a five-nation tour of the region.

It has been suggested that the West is seeking Iran's assistance with - or at least agreement to - strikes against Afghanistan.

Iran condemned the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It is also hostile towards the ruling Taleban in neighbouring Afghanistan - where Osama Bin Laden, named by the United States as the prime suspect for the attacks, is sheltering.

But Iran is also one of the countries listed by the US as "a sponsor of terrorism" for its backing of Lebanon's Hezbollah militia and the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups.

The EU's External Relations Commissioner, Chris Patten, said the delegation wanted to find out how far Iran was prepared to work with Europe in fighting terrorism.

The Afghan opposition has asked for military assistance

"The immediate target is Mr Bin Laden and (his) al-Qaeda group - those who appear to have been directly responsible for the atrocities in the United States - but beyond that the battle has to be carried forward in international fora and through international co-operation," he told reporters.

"I don't expect there will be a meeting of minds on all issues by a long way."

Human rights

It was important for Iran to understand that the EU had clear views on human rights, he added, "and we have a very clear view that you can't distinguish between good terrorists and bad terrorists".

At the same time, Mr Patten said, the EU would hold out the prospect of a broader relationship with Iran, covering trade and investment, energy, drugs, asylum and refugees.

The prospect of enhanced economic and political ties with the EU as a reward for its support for international action against terrorism was held out to Pakistan during a meeting with President Pervez Musharraf - but only if the country moved towards restoring democracy.

Refugees

Iran, fearing a new flood of Afghan refugees if the US launches strikes against Afghanistan, has welcomed a war on terrorism but says it must be carried out under the auspices of the United Nations.

The EU has released 20 million euros ($18.4m) to help deal with the humanitarian crisis.

Speaking in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, Mr Patten said: "We can't in three or four months time find ourselves being criticised for not making funds available to deal with what could be a dreadful humanitarian crisis, a crisis made all the worse by the extent to which the Taleban are using food as a political weapon."

Another EU delegation will travel to Washington on Thursday. Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, will brief President George W Bush on decisions taken by EU leaders at an emergency summit in Brussels last Friday.