france and germany leaderless, page-3

Here Here! or is it Hear Hear!

France, Germany, Belgium Block NATO War Plans
Monday, February 10, 2003

BRUSSELS, Belgium — The rift between the United States and Great Britain and some of their NATO allies widened Monday after France, Germany and Belgium blocked efforts to help defend Turkey if it is attacked by Iraq.

Turkey immediately requested emergency consultations under NATO's mutual defense treaty -- or Article 4 -- the first time a nation has done so in the alliance's 53-year history.

But those consultations ended without resolution. They were to continue Tuesday at the North Atlantic Council, NATO's political body.

The three-country veto has deepened divisions in the alliance over the Iraq crisis, with American ambassador Nicholas Burns accusing France, Germany and Belgium of plunging NATO into crisis.

"The majority of the NATO countries reiterated the urgency for NATO to take a decision," NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson said after the meeting. "Unfortunately we're not yet at the stage where we can achieve consensus."

"It is a matter of enormous consequence for this alliance and therefore people are taking it very seriously," he said.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld stressed the United States and willing allies would go ahead with planning to help Turkey outside of NATO if necessary.

"We are already going about that task," he said at a news conference at the Pentagon. He said Turkey needed aerial surveillance and anti-missile equipment as well as detection devices for biological and chemical weapons.

The dispute deepens divisions in NATO over Iraq. Germany and France have mounted a campaign in the U.N. Security Council to deter the United States and Britain from using force to disarm President Saddam Hussein.

A senior French official at NATO headquarters said Paris saw no reason to change its position on the Turkey preparations until at least Friday, when the U.N. weapons inspectors are due to report to the Security Council in New York.

The United States had lobbied hard for the past three weeks for NATO to begin preparations to protect Turkey in case it came under attack from Iraq. It had won support from 16 of the 19 NATO allies. Turkey, the only NATO nation bordering Iraq, is a likely staging ground for a U.S.-led war.

The plan would include preparations to send Turkey AWACS early warning planes, Patriot missile interceptor batteries and units specialized in counter-germ warfare and anti-poison gas operations.

Just an hour before the order to start the military planning was set to be given Monday morning, France, Germany and Belgium intervened, saying it risked undermining efforts to end the Iraq crisis peacefully.

"It would signify that we have already entered into the logic of war, that ... any chance, any initiative to still resolve the conflict in a peaceful way was gone," Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel said.

Burns, the U.S. ambassador, called the three countries' move "a most unfortunate decision."

"Because of their actions, NATO is now facing a crisis of credibility," Burns said.

Lord Robertson said that the atmosphere in the day's meeting of alliance ambassadors was "very heated."

After the rejection, Turkey invoked Article 4 of the NATO charter, which binds the 19 allies to talks when one perceives a threat to its "territorial integrity, political independence or security."

In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the treaty bound all allies to defend Turkey. "I hope that NATO will now realize that they have an obligation to assist a NATO member," he said.

The country at the heart of the dispute sought to soothe tempers.

"They did not veto the protection of Turkey," Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said in Ankara. "These countries have problems with the timing," he said, adding that the "problem can be overcome because there is no disagreement on principle."

But the damage to alliance unity was unavoidable.

At a stormy weekend meeting in Munich, Germany, Rumsfeld warned continued delays in responding to Turkey's request were "inexcusable" and risked undermining the credibility of the alliance.

Rumsfeld intensified his criticism in an interview Sunday with Italy's La Repubblica newspaper. "Shameful, for me it's truly shameful," Rumsfeld was quoted as saying. "Turkey is an ally. An ally that is risking everything ... How can you refuse it help?"

NATO's military commanders say the planning for Turkey's defense can be wrapped up within a few days once they get the go-ahead, but actual deployment of the NATO units will need further approval from the 19 allies.

All NATO decisions require unanimous support from the allies.