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NATO split over defence assistance to Turkey


AM - Tuesday, 11 February , 2003  00:00:00

Reporter: Michael Brissenden

LINDA MOTTRAM: First this morning, Saddam Hussein's newest attempt to slip out of the noose that's tightening around him. Reversing his earlier position, the Iraqi leader has now accepted, apparently unconditionally, a demand by the US and by weapons inspectors to allow U2 surveillance overflights of Iraqi territory.

It's classic Iraqi brinkmanship - acceding to a key demand at the very last, as the US appears on the very edge of going to war.

So how will the US react? We'll go to Washington shortly.

But even as Baghdad tries to avert war, the rift over Iraq between the US and some of its most important allies, and between those allies indeed, is widening by the day.

Now the crisis has seriously struck at NATO.

France, Germany and Belgium have blocked a US request for defence assistance to moderate Muslim NATO member, Turkey, sparking anger in Washington.

NATO Secretary-General, George Robertson, says that there is a real problem in the alliance, while the European Union is also in disarray on the same issue, and has called an emergency leaders' summit for early next week.

Europe correspondent Michael Brissenden reports.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: The bombs haven't yet been dropped, but this 21st Century war against Iraq is already causing considerable damage to some of the twentieth century's most enduring alliances and military and diplomatic institutions.

The anti-war charge, led by France and Germany, is creating frustration, exasperation and anger within the Bush administration in Washington.

But this is not, as so it has so often been portrayed, a fight between Europe and the US. This is an internal European struggle as well.

For three weeks, the Americans have been asking NATO to agree to allow the deployment of defensive military hardware, like patriot missiles and chemical and biological weapons detection equipment, to Turkey, the only NATO member that shares a border with Iraq.

For three weeks, the French and the Germans have argued behind closed doors that would send the message that diplomacy with Iraq has failed.

Now, with Belgian help, they have formally blocked the move.

NATO Secretary-General, George Robertson, described the standoff as difficult.

GEORGE ROBERTSON: I have made the point, I make it again. It is serious that after three weeks we have not got an agreement but a lot of people are working very hard to make sure an agreement takes place and I am confident that if people look at the serious implications of not getting a decision then that will, I hope, give an impetus to providing a solution and getting consensus.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: The Turks have now invoked a clause called Article 4 and have themselves formally asked their alliance partners for help.

France, Germany and Belgium will have to come around eventually or risk tearing NATO apart and they won't do that.

George Robertson says this is not an argument about if assistance should be given, but when. It's an argument about timing.

But there's no doubt about the anger felt within the Bush administration at this forceful opposition from some of its biggest and most powerful allies in Europe.

The Americans are now painting France and Germany as the ones who are really isolated in this debate, but they've been joined by another powerful world player.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Paris to put his name to a common declaration with France and Germany that called for the continuation of the inspection regime. Both he and the French President, Jacques Chirac, said now was not the time for war.

But speaking through an interpreter at a press conference after the meeting, President Putin said their disagreement with the US on this issue was a healthy thing.

VLADIMIR PUTIN [translated]: Of course it would be better if there was a single view, a single opinion. That would be rather like meetings of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union, but as we know that wasn't a very good thing then.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: France and Germany, of course, have the power of veto in the Security Council. Consensus in the NATO military alliance on this issue is hard enough to get. Consensus in the Security Council looks increasingly unlikely.

This is Michael Brissenden in Brussels for AM.