The End of NATO ....and maybe the EU?
France and Germany block Nato plans on Iraq
By Judy Dempsey in Brussels
Published: February 10 2003 10:24 | Last Updated: February 10 2003 11:47
France and Germany have stopped Nato from planning military measures to support Turkey in a war against Iraq, dealing a serious blow to an already deeply divided alliance.
The decision by both countries was immediately followed by a special meeting of Nato's North Atlantic Council, the alliance's highest political body that consists of the 19 ambassadors.
In what was thought to be an unprecedented move, Turkey invoked Article 4 of the alliance's treaty. In practice, this would automatically lead to article 5 which states that an attack on one member of the alliance is an attack on all of them. This would make the alliance obliged to support any country that has been attacked.
Speaking after Turkey formally asked for Nato consultations on the defence of its territory George Robertson, Nato secretary-general, said "There is a very heated argument inside Nato on the timing [of deploying help to Turkey] and clearly ... that argumment is of a very serious nature."
Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, reacted angrily to the Nato impasse in an interview on Monday calling the blocking movement a 'disgrace'.
France has been at the forefront in rejecting US requests for providing a security guarantee to Turkey, a key Nato ally and the only member of the alliance that shares a border with Iraq.
Paris has argued that it did not want to prejudge the work of the United Nations inspectors.
In addition, it did not want Nato to be so firmly on the side of war, claiming that providing a defence guarantee to Turkey would show that Nato regarded war as inevitable.
The US and Britain, however, say they cannot understand France's position since all that is being asked from the alliance is that the military planners simply make preparations. "There is no question of deployment as such," said a Nato official. "We just have to take prudent measures."
The US last month officially asked Nato to provide Patriot missiles, the early warning Awacs radar system and chemical and biological units for Turkey.
Germany had blocked that request as well until it had received assurances that any support for Turkey would be defensive, not offensive.
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Interesting comments on the above:
forums.ft.com
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16 0f 19 NATO nations voted FOR providing military aid to Turkey. France, Germany, and Belgium voted NO.
Somehow I can't see the UK going along with this outcome. This is really part of a French plan to take over and dominate the EU since they seemingly can't accomplish anything else of importance. And I can see the UK telling the EU to take a hike rather than go along with this. |
