World News 08-12-2000 Clashes Inside And Outside EU Summit who: Tony Blair what: Says euro army will never be independent of NATO where: Nice, France when: Yesterday snippet: "Back Off Jacques" says The Mirror; "Blair Goes To War On Chirac" says The Sun; "Nice turns nasty" says The Independent after the first day of the EU summit meeting in the south of France was characterised by violence on the streets and clashes in the Acropolis Centre. The conflict indoors was thrown up by plans for the new European Rapid Reaction Force. French President Chirac wants it to be independent of NATO, but Britain has already made a pledge to the USA not to jeopardise the "special relationship" by shifting the balance of power away from the European military strategic headquarters at SHAPE. "Britain would never agree to anything that would undermine Nato," Mr Blair said later. But he fully intends to go ahead with plans for the so-called Euro army. "We are going to end up with something Nato supports, Britain supports, America supports and the French can live with." Meanwhile, outdoors "the semi-deserted boulevards reverberated with explosions," says The Telegraph. "A fog of tear gas and black smoke clung around the conference centre, where several delegations stepped out of their cars coughing and wiping their eyes". The police were out in force to control a crowd of 3,000 who broke away from a 50,000-strong anti-globalisation protest. Rioters petrol-bombed a bank, reports The Sun, and then threw bricks at firemen who arrived to put out the blaze. "Windows were smashed as terrified shopkeepers pulled down shutters and locals ran for cover. Twenty policemen were hurt and just seven arrests were made." [... more]

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