Posted: 2/10/2003 12:32:00 AM EDT
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[url]http://www.canada.com/news/story.asp?id=%7B2613B41C-0F17-462E-B053-3D62E148A34A%7D[/url] France blocks start of NATO planning to protect Turkey from Iraqi missiles Canadian Press Monday, February 10, 2003 BRUSSELS (AP) - France blocked the start of NATO military planning Monday to protect Turkey against the threat of Iraqi missile attack, further accentuating the deep divisions in the alliance over the Iraq crisis. NATO officials said France formally blocked the move an hour before NATO procedures would have started the military planning automatically at 4 a.m. EST. As expected, Belgium backed the French move. Foreign Minister Louis Michel said Sunday it was too early for the alliance to enter into a "war mind-set." It was unclear if Germany, which had previously backed French and Belgian hesitation, had also supported the latest delay of the planning to send surveillance planes, anti-missile batteries and units specialized in dealing with germ warfare and poison gas attacks to Turkey. The French move is a blow to the United States which has lobbied hard for more than three weeks for the alliance to start the military planning, backed by 16 of the 19 NATO allies. The French and Belgian foreign ministers held a telephone conference early Monday and said they would continue to block the automatic start of military planning. "They had their talks and they will continue to block," said Belgian government spokesman Didier Seeuws of the telephone talks between his minister Louis Michel and his French counterpart Dominique de Villepin. Faced with the latest delay, Turkey was widely expected to call for urgent consultations under NATO's mutual defence treaty. A meeting of NATO's policy making North Atlantic Council was possible later Monday, officials said. Diplomats said they expected France and the other holdouts to drop their objections to the military planning faced with a direct request from the Turks under the treaty. The dispute over the planning has dragged on for three weeks, causing increasing acrimony among the allies. At a stormy weekend meeting in Munich, U.S. Defence Secretary Donald 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 Republica 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?" In France, officials countered that it was too early to start military preparations while diplomatic efforts continued to avoid war. However they stressed they would help the Turks if they judged it necessary. "If Turkey was really under threat, France would be one of the first at its side," French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told reporters in Munich. "Today we don't feel that threat is there." Other NATO allies expressed confidence the doubters would rally to the plan early this week in response to a direct Turkish request. "I trust the alliance will stick together and we will help Turkey," Norwegian Defence Minister Kristin Krohn Devold said Sunday. "I have a strong belief in common sense." As well as transatlantic differences, the deadlock has highlighted deep divisions among European allies with one side, led by Britain, Spain and Italy, backing the tough line against Iraq taken by the United States against France and Germany. NATO's military commanders say the planning for the limited support for Turkey 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. |
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Il my view, USA should sign bilateral agreements with countries, like the 8 ones that signed support for USA action (among them Denmark, Spain and ITALY...) to keep US bases in those countries. And then quit NATO to their destiny... I'd like to see French Belgium and Germany to spend up to their last cent to replace the gap left by US troops... Even if I am diffident toward Turkey, since its govt. is Islamic party, I would say that discriminating Turkey or letting it alone would shift this country, a real bridge between Europe and Middle East, in the hands of Islamic fundamentalism. EU is giving a further evidence of political short sight... |
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Ladies and Gentlemen, it looks like a era has ended. One perpetually recalactrant member NATO can survive, three it cannot. It doesn't have any real purpose anymore. Lets put it out of its misery and end it. Replace it with bilateral agreements with individual nations like Paolo said. Just about everyone here grew up with NATO, it will be strange to live without it, but its no longer useful or effective. Let it expire. |