Last night marked an important and disturbing development in the EU. For the first time ever, EU military forces launched an attack on the mainland of a foreign sovereign state.
Forces transported by helicopter destroyed pirate boats in a Somalian harbour.
These pirates are a scourge, and if NATO or the UN were behind the attack, then it is unlikely that eyebrows would be raised. But this is unique, in that the EU is now projecting military force overseas in an offensive capacity.
I supported an amendment in Strasbourg recently rejecting the decision by the Council of Ministers authorising such actions by the EU, knowing that this would quickly lead to a violent flexing of muscles.
The Commander of the EU naval force involved in this action is Rear Admiral Duncan Potts, a British officer. So now we have a British Admiral under EU orders. This is a very worrying development indeed.
More on this story:
BBC: Somali piracy: EU forces in first mainland raid
Telegraph: EU anti-piracy force strikes Somali targets
Financial Times: EU raid targets Somali pirates onshore
