February 17, 2003

Nato envoys break deadlock

The Nato alliance has resolved its internal disagreement over American planning for a war against Iraq.

Nato Secretary General George Robertson said the 18 members of the organisation's defence planning committee had agreed on the deployment of military defences in Turkey.

France, Germany and Belgium had been blocking the move, saying it would imply that war with Iraq is inevitable. [WTF? God, those Old Europeans think in convoluted ways!--Jen]

The announcement came a few hours before the start of an emergency summit of European Union leaders - also aimed at resolving differences over Iraq.

During Sunday's Nato meeting, Germany and Belgium dropped their objections to extending immediate assistance to Turkey.

France, which is not represented on the committee, did not take part in the discussions.

The French pulled out of Nato's military structures in 1966, and participate only in political consultation.
[...]"Alliance solidarity has prevailed," Lord Robertson said on Sunday. "We have been able collectively to overcome the impasse."
[...]
Differences between Western powers over Iraq are also expected to be the focus of Monday's EU summit in Brussels.

Britain, Spain and Italy have expressed support for the US, while others are counselling caution.

After the announcement of Sunday's breakthrough at Nato, France, Germany, and Belgium said in a statement that the agreement did not "in any way prejudge ongoing efforts" to resolve the crisis through the UN.
[...]
At some point, our correspondent adds, EU countries will have to decide whether and how they can salvage the broken dream of a common European foreign policy.

The Netherlands has already agreed to ship Patriot anti-missile batteries.

The US is hoping that Ankara will allow at least one army division to be stationed there in the run-up to possible military action.

But Turkey says the US should not expect immediate permission to deploy tens of thousands of troops on its soil.

Yes, we're going to have to reconfigure or re-do NATO in the future perhaps by stressing first of all that France does keep her contribution to "political
consultation" with NO VOTE in this body on military matters.
In fact, a NATO country that cannot vote for the defense of another should be either expelled or put on "probation."
We shall deal with France's perfidy,too.
And perhaps Belgium's and Germany's.
And then there's Austria, which refused to allow our troops to have access so that they could be transported across their borders on their way to the Iraqi theatre from Germany....
I hate finding out so horribly who our *real* friends and allies are in the crunch, but now that we know "who's with us and who's [virtually] with the terrorists," we need to take action starting with boycotts of their products, tourism there, etc.