Mr President, 172 troops – 34 British and 138 American – gave their lives for the cause of Iraq's freedom during the war. Today certainly, my colleagues and I salute what they and all the coalition forces did to ensure that Iraq could be free. Throughout the debates that we have had on the Iraq crisis, I have made it clear that for us war was always a last resort. If only the nations of the world had united in a determined way, then Saddam, in my view, could have been dealt with without the need for war. Now that the conflict is over, the emphasis is rightly on the stabilisation of Iraq, on the building of civil society, on creating the conditions for a democratic state that can live in peace with its neighbours and also on restoring the Iraqi economy in the interests of the Iraqi people. Of course there are great hurdles to overcome. That is not in dispute. However we should be in no doubt that only the removal of Saddam Hussein has made any of these things possible. The second great task that can now be taken forward is progress towards a durable settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. The road map to peace sponsored by the Quartet offers a solid basis for a resolution of this most difficult of issues in the Middle East: the parties in the wider region, the blueprint for a lasting peace, a secure Israel whose right to exist is recognised by the Arab world, and a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in harmony and peace. There is much work to be done on both of these projects, but the opportunity is there now for a real and lasting peace to be forged in this vitally important region of the world. As for the wider world, the crisis has created real questions about the United Nations and its ability to implement its own declared intentions. NATO has suffered internal divisions of a kind never before experienced. The European Union has demonstrated that it is incapable of speaking with a single voice, whilst some Member States have shown more interest in creating a counterweight to the United States, than in building a genuine transatlantic partnership based on common values. It is time for some straight talking. The actions of the gang of four at the Brussels summit last month clearly show the strategic error they are making in trying to divide the transatlantic alliance. Whatever soft words they say, this summit was a calculated attempt to foment division between Europe and the USA, and if we have learned anything from the events of recent months it is surely that Europe and America must stand together to deal with threats to our collective security. New structures and new military headquarters in competition with the United States would fracture an alliance that has served us well in Europe. I am glad that the majority of European nations understand this and have had the courage to say so. Finally, if Europe is serious about defence and security, it needs to provide the financial resources. New and divisive structures are not needed. What we need is increased capability. I hope that Europe has learned a lesson from this crisis. NATO and the transatlantic alliance must remain the bedrock of European defence.

Political group: PPE-DE