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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, January 23, 2003

France, Germany Block NATO Step on Iraq: Diplomats

France and Germany on Wednesday blocked a NATO decision on whether to prepare assistance steps in any US-led war against Iraq during a heated debate among NATO ambassadors, diplomats said.


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France, Germany Block NATO Step on Iraq: Diplomats
France and Germany on Wednesday blocked a NATO decision on whether to prepare assistance steps in any US-led war against Iraq during a heated debate among NATO ambassadors, diplomats said.

The United States last week formally asked the 19-nation alliance to consider six measures to provide indirect military assistance in case of a war against Iraq, mainly to protect NATO ally Turkey against possible Iraqi attacks.

Diplomatic sources said the Wednesday meeting at NATO's Brussels headquarters was a response to the US requests and ambassadors from allied countries had a tough discussion.

France and Germany have publicly opposed any rush to war, and along with many other European allies, they were backed at the NATO meeting by Belgium and Luxembourg. They claimed that the United Nations weapons inspectors should be given more time to tryto disarm Iraq peacefully.

Diplomats said the allies were not opposed to the US requests in principle, but were anxious not to appear to be endorsing military action before diplomatic avenues to avert a conflict had been exhausted.

In principle, they said, all allies would be in favor of what'sproposed, especially with regard to looking after Turkey, the onlyIslamic nation in NATO. The picture may change after Jan. 27 when UN weapons inspectors to present key report on Iraq.


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