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WORLD NEWSSaturday 19 December 2015

EU leaders vow ‘uncompromising fight’ against terrorism

French President Francois Hollande speaks during a media conference at the conclusion of an Islamic State organization, a post-summit news con-
EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015. European Union leaders reconvened in Brussels for that killed 130 and wound- ference. “No one country
the final day of their year-end summit with a wide-ranging agenda including how to build greater ed hundreds more in Paris. can defeat it alone. We
economic unity among their 28 countries and stepping up the fight against extremism. Those attacks “have only have to defeat it togeth-
strengthened our resolve er.”
(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) to continue our uncom- The British leader said that
promising fight against to better neutralize the
JOHN DAHLBURG ranging countermeasures strict violent extremists’ abil- terrorism and to make full threat of violent extremist
Associated Press ranging from beefed-up ity to finance their actions, use of all the tools at our groups like Islamic State,
BRUSSELS (AP) — Shocked immigration controls to a including via the imposition disposal, including close Europe needs more sys-
by the bloody Paris attacks, crackdown on illicit weap- of asset freezes. coordination with key part- tematic sharing of informa-
European Union leaders on ons-trafficking. The Brussels summit was the ners such as the United tion, better cooperation
Friday vowed an “uncom- Leaders of the 28 EU mem- first time the EU leaders had States,” EU leaders said in a in the field of aviation se-
promising fight against ter- ber countries also pledged assembled since the Nov. joint statement. curity, coordinated efforts
rorism” and called for wide- quick action to better re- 13 attacks, claimed by the They also agreed it was to choke off the targeted
crucial to implement sys- groups’ financing and pro-
tematic and coordinated paganda, and a clamp-
border checks at Euro- down on explosives.
pean countries’ external At the EU summit, “we got
frontiers in order to know very clear agreement here
who is coming and going, to take forward all of these
and promised to rapidly re- proposals,” Cameron said.
view proposals by the EU’s Last month’s coordinated
executive arm to clamp attacks on Paris restaurants
down on the illegal sale and cafes, a theater and
of firearms, especially the a suburban soccer stadi-
models of high-powered um highlighted the ready
semi-automatic weapons availability in Europe of
used by some of the Paris military assault rifles, as well
attackers. as gaps in the immigration
“We face a common and customs checks that
threat,” British Prime Min- allow even people sub-
ister David Cameron told ject to international search
warrants to travel unhin-
Cameron confident he’ll get EU reforms next year dered.
Twenty-two EU countries
LORNE COOK years. educated Polish people people to decide whether belong to the so-called
JILL LAWLESS Britain claims its schools, live in the U.K. we remain or leave,” add- Schengen zone, where no
Associated Press hospitals and welfare sys- and work there and are ed Cameron. visa is needed to journey
BRUSSELS (AP) — British tem have been strained building the GDP of Great Cameron says he will argue between one member na-
Prime Minister David Cam- by the arrival of hundreds Britain.” to stay as long as he gets a tion and another.
eron says he’s confident the of thousands of immigrants No formal alternative pro- new deal for Britain, Recent history, though,
European Union will agree from Eastern Europe over posal was put forward at but a strong contingent indicates progress in the
to the reforms he is seek- the last decade. the meeting. within his Conservative Par- counterterrorism field can
ing next year, indicating But Cameron’s proposed But Cameron said the sum- ty favors leaving the EU. be slow. After the Jan. 7-9
he may call a referendum welfare curb is strongly mit had brought theEU “a Many British business lead- earlier attacks in Paris, a
on Britain’s membership opposed by some oth- step closer to agreement ers, however, summit called for a strong
well before his self-imposed er EU leaders, who see it as on the significant and far- warn that having Britain directive to allow the ex-
end-of-2017 deadline. violating the fundamental reaching reforms that I’ve leave the EU would devas- change of data on air
Cameron spoke Friday af- principle of free movement proposed.” tate London’s standing as passengers. But it may not
ter a two-day summit at among the bloc’s member He said 2016 “will be the a global financial center. be until next Februarythat
which he outlined Britain’s states. year that we achieve Cameron’s goal is to get such a system is given final
demands for reform of the Polish Prime Minister Bea- something really vital, agreement at a Feb. 18-19 approved by the Europe-
28-nation bloc. ta Szydlo said Cameron’s summit, which could mean an Parliament.
His most contentious goal is benefits-limiting proposals fundamentally changing a referendum as early as “It’s simply not enough to
to reduce immigration from “are not acceptable to Po- the U.K.’s relationship with June. proclaim, to decide_it’s
other EU nations by bar- land.” the EU and finally address- The mood after Thursday’s a matter of putting things
ring migrants from receiv- “We are open to discus- ing the concerns of the Brit- late-night summit meeting into effect,” French Presi-
ing some benefits until they sion and compromise,” she ish people about our mem- in Brussels was that a deal dent Francois Hollande
have been in Britain for four said. “But today many well- bership. might be possible. q told reporters Friday. q
“Then it will be for the British