LONDON - European Union leaders are to stage an emergency counter-terrorism summit on Saturday as the alliance of nations that has pledged support for America waits anxiously for a military strike by Washington.
The Belgian presidency of the EU announced yesterday that it has called together the 15 leaders to discuss pooling resources to combat the terrorists. The gathering will be the culmination of this week's frantic diplomacy, which includes a special gathering of justice ministers.
Yesterday, officials from France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands discussed exchanging intelligence and working more closely on the detention of suspects, issues at the centre of plans to be agreed at the summit.
Despite the decision of all 19 Nato nations to invoke the alliance's collective security clause for the first time in its history, the rhetoric emanating from capitals has proved far from consistent.
Britain has emerged as one of the most forthright supporters of America and is one of the most likely countries to aid the expected military operation. The contribution of other European allies is likely to be of more political, rather than military, use to Washington, which has overwhelming military firepower.
