Some U.S. Allies Question War Timetable

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 22, 2003

Some U.S. Allies Question War Timetable

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France, Germany, Russia and China have made it clear they will not be rushed by Washington's timetable for war against Iraq, despite threats by the White House to move against Saddam Hussein without their approval, AP report says Tuesday.

Despite U.S. efforts to convince the world that Iraq is failing to cooperate with inspectors looking for banned weapons of mass destruction, many U.N. Security Council members believe just the opposite �� that the inspections are starting to work and Iraq can be disarmed peacefully.

Britain, America's closest ally, is the only major military power virtually certain to join the United States, having called up 26,000 soldiers for duty in the Persian Gulf. Other countries with smaller armies, such as Australia, Canada and Bulgaria, could provide supporting military roles in a coalition of the willing. But traditional allies such as France, which fought alongside U.S. troops in the 1991 Gulf War, as well as in Kosovo and Afghanistan, are are unlikely to join any military conflict at this stage. France hinted this week that it might use its veto to block any authorization for war. "We see no justification right now for any military action," French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said Tuesday.

In Washington, President Bush responded with impatience. "Surely our friends have learned lessons from the past," he said.

Turkey, the only Muslim member of NATO, has long been considered a natural supporter of any U.S.-led military intervention. But on Tuesday, Turkey announced it will host a meeting of regional foreign ministers to discuss the deep reservations that Iraq's neighbors have in supporting a U.S.-led war.

Source: Agencies

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