Karamanou (PSE). – (EL) Mr President, I too should like to express my deepest disappointment at the fact that we proved unable to agree on a joint resolution of the European Parliament, despite the fact that today's debate shows that there is common ground, that there are the materials to build a common European identity. An identity that can offer politics, logic and culture against the violence and the social and cultural barbarity being promoted by the new military doctrine of the United States. The European Union has a duty and an obligation to study in depth the new international situation being created by American expansionism and the untrustworthiness of the neo-conservative American leadership.
We have a duty to demand answers to questions which still remain open:
First, about the blatant violation of international law with an aggressive war; secondly, about the attempt to deceive public opinion about alleged weapons of mass destruction, which turned out to be the lie of the century; thirdly, about the barbaric looting of cultural treasures, and I hope that no museum will dare receive the stolen goods; fourthly, about the annihilation of hundreds of civilians, about the destruction of infrastructures, about the bombing of television stations and the murder of journalists and, last but not least, about the war unleashed by the United States against the United Nations.
Certainly, the collapse of the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein cannot be used to whitewash the Americans and their allies. Finally, I should like to stress that the worthy women of Iraq can make a decisive contribution to the ending of the chaos in post-war Iraq, to the reconstruction of the country and to the future democratic governance.
The presidency and the Commission must demand the immediate application of unanimous UN resolution 1325 calling for increased participation and representation of women in all decision-making centres at all levels. And finally, we hope that on 21 June the European Union will exert its influence so that decisions are taken that will implement the road map, so that a fair solution can at last be found to the question of the Middle East and a climate of trust can be restored with the Arab world.