The Vilnius Ten - including Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia - called
the evidence presented to the Security Council by Colin Powell, the US
Secretary of State - "compelling". Iraq posed a "clear and present
danger" - they concluded.
Bulgaria and Romania pledged free access to their air spaces and
territorial waters. The first US military plane has landed today in the
Safarovo airport in the Black Sea city of Burgas in Bulgaria. Other
members are poised to provide medical staff, anti-mine units and
chemical protection gear.
Such overt obsequiousness did not go unrewarded.
Days after the common statement, the IMF - considered by some to be a
long arm of America's foreign policy - clinched a standby arrangement
with Macedonia, the first in two turbulent years. On the same day,
Bulgaria received glowing - and counterfactual - reviews from yet
another IMF mission, clearing the way for the release of a tranche of
$36 million out of a loan of $330 million.
Partly in response, six members of parliament from the ruling Simeon II
national Movement joined with four independents to form the National
Ideal for Unity. According to Novinite.com, a Bulgarian news Web site,
they asserted that "the new political morale was seriously harmed" and
"accused the government of inefficient economic program of the
government that led to the bad economic situation in the country.
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