The Guardian reports today (see link below) on the result of the EU summit on the Mediterranean disaster. I will comment here on the EU’s plans for military action (see previous two blogs for other issues).

Not surprisingly, senior EU officials “refused to be drawn on the details” of their plans to “identify, capture and destroy” vessels used by traffickers. It is, though, a “military operation” (can these people think of nothing else?), largely focusing on Libya and its surrounding waters. “Diplomats” seemed to be a bit miffed about the politicians’ plans, saying they were “sketchy and imprecise” and had been “hastily announced in a kneejerk response to last weekend’s tragedy”. Then, as if realising how undiplomatic that sounded, they helpfully suggested some details of their own: “Apache helicopter gunships attacking traffickers’ vessels from a range of up to 2 km would be the optimal way to operate”, they said, but argued against “boots on the ground”. This may not have been the day to make this suggestion: almost as they spoke, President Obama was apologising for the fact that his drone strikes on an Al-Qaida camp had ignorantly killed its hostages by mistake.

But step forward Federica Mogherini (EU foreign and security policy coordinator): she has been entrusted with the job of drawing up a “military mission blueprint”. So they seem to be going ahead with these plans for military action. Diplomats, though, are still a bit grumbly, but for a different reason this time: it could take several months or a year to get off the ground, they say. It may require a UN Security Council mandate. It may be vetoed by Russia.

Let’s hope something stops the EU in its tracks. Any real solution is going to take time, but this is not a real solution. Like all such “solutions” (haven’t we learned this yet?) it will only make matters worse. But recent history suggests that once they’ve thought of the helicopter-gunship solution, or the bombing solution, and once they’ve thought of a catchy phrase like “identify, capture and destroy”, these people can ignore the need for a UN mandate and neatly sidestep a veto, wherever it comes from.

Let’s hope I’m wrong.

[Guardian report: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/23/migrant-deaths-eu-funding-rescue-ships-mediterranean?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2%5D