LONDON -- One early and significant casualty of the war with Iraq is the unity of Europe. The European continent is split clean down the middle. On one side sit France, Germany and Belgium. On the other side sit almost all the other nations of Europe, east and west.
The division is not just about Iraq; it goes much deeper. At the root is the issue of Europe's identity and how this is defined in relation to the United States. France and Germany see the need for a united Europe as a counterweight to American hegemony. They want Atlantic balance rather than Atlantic partnership.
The rest of Europe, and in population terms the larger half, see European unity as a reinforcement of the Atlantic alliance, and the alliance itself, or partnership, as the most important component in both European and global security. There may be occasional differences, but this is their underlying belief. The parallel with Japan-U.S. relations is almost exact. Standing on the edge, and probably rather enjoying the scene, is Russia, which is cautiously anti-American on the Iraq issue but in the longer run undoubtedly wants to keep in with the Americans as well.