The day after American missiles hit Iraq, Parliament held an emergency debate on the issue. In it Johannes Swoboda (A, PES) believed that responsibility for the crisis lay clearly with the "brutal dictator" Saddam Hussein, who did not keep his promises and insisted on playing cat and mouse with the UN.
Nevertheless Mr Swoboda was concerned that there had been no consultation with the UN on the military action taken. He also wanted the EU to do something and not just leave the US as the world's policeman. Tom Spencer (Surrey, EPP) concluded that regrettably the massive use of force had been necessary as Saddam had become ever more dishonest and evasive with large numbers of arms remaining unaccounted for.
Mr Spencer did not accept that President Clinton had launched the strike to escape from his domestic problems and argued that the current situation showed the importance of the EU developing an effective Common and Foreign Policy.