Let's throw some recent events together and see what we have.

Evidently, France, Germany and Britain have decided to quit fighting over Iraq and start working together (Read about it here). Evidently, to bring Britain into the fold, France and Germany dropped their request for a new defense command headquarters outside NATO. Instead, their defense wing will continue to be headed with structures that were created by Javier Solana in the Council.

At the same time, Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar is saying he doesn't think the new, super EU Constitution will fly (Read about it here). In other words, don't look to him for a compromise about changing the way the EU Council votes. He wants the voting system to stay as is.

This is what I think:  I think there may be a little "good cop, bad cop" going on here. France and Germany may be playing the role of the bad cop, and Britain and Spain the good cop.

Here's why I think this. All four of these nations are members of the 10-nation Western European Union military alliance. And all four fear the same thing -- loosing control of the Council when the 10 new EU member states arrive in May.

Question: What should they do about it? You can bet your bottom Euro they have been discussing their common problem. And you can bet their discussions included advice form the man responsible for their common foreign policy, Solana.

This is how I see it: The first thing these 10 nations would have to do to hold power would be to torpedo the new Constitution that changes the voting system. And this is what I think they are doing.

But if I'm right about this being a good cop, bad cop act, there has to be somebody they're trying to deceive. Who would that somebody be?

I suspect that somebody might be America. You see, America is very suspicious about the EU's desire for an independent defense arm. So if America can be made to believe that France and Germany are the bad cops, then America may be willing to go along with Britain and Spain -- the good cops.

Do I really believe the EU beast might be trying to deceive America? 

Stay tuned!