Last October I wrote a commentary about Robert Cooper. Why? For two reasons. One:  Cooper is an advocate of a foreign policy he calls "new imperialism." And two: Robert Cooper has become the right hand man and personal adviser to the EU's High Representative, Javier Solana Read about it here.

Here's my question. Why does Solana -- at most the EU's new foreign minister -- himself need a foreign minister? In American Cooper's position would be called Secretary of State. When you think about it, that's what Cooper appears to be -- Solana's Secretary of State. A possible answer, of course, is Solana is planning on being much more than just a foreign minister.

Now if Solana is planning on becoming something more on the level of a president, he wouldn't just need a Secretary of State, he would also need a Secretary of Defense.

With this in mind, it's interesting that the EUbusiness is reporting Solana has chosen a British official named Nick Whitney to head up a new defense agency to be established within the Council of Europe. In other words, a defense agency under Solana Read about it here  I  And here.

Question: If Solana is to become something more than a foreign minister with Cooper his Secretary of State, is Whitney to become his Secretary of Defense?

The report also said this new defense agency should be up and running in 2004. Why is this interesting? Because as it looks now, the EU's new Constitution will arrive about the same time. And as I've been reporting, the new Constitution calls for a new, super EU foreign minister with powers that will rival, if not surpass, the EU presidency.

And if this job goes to Solana ...