Germany, France Drafting New Plan on Disarming Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, February 09, 2003

Germany, France Drafting New Plan on Disarming Iraq

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Germany and France are working jointly on a disarmament plan for Iraq as a means of avoiding a looming US-led military strike, as US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned that the delay in NATO planning for protecting Turkey was undermining the alliance's credibility.

Rumsfeld told the 39th Security Conference in Munich, Germany, that the world would know in "days or weeks" whether a war on Iraqwas needed.

Rumsfeld's remarks met opposition from German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who reiterated Germany's opposition to resolving the Iraqi crisis by force.

France, Germany's new plan for Iraq

A German government spokesman confirmed Saturday that France and Germany are drafting a new disarmament plan for Iraq in a bid to avert a war against the country.

The plan was disclosed by the latest issue of the German news magazine Der Spiegel.

The spokesman said there had been "joint thinking about concrete peaceful alternatives" to avert a war.

Spiegel reported that one approach under consideration was to launch the Franco-German plan as a draft resolution at the Security Council. It said Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's and President Jacques Chirac's staff had been working on the plan since the start of this year.

Under the joint plan, the UN arms inspectors would be tripled in number and a UN force with executive authority would be sent into Iraq to guarantee that it really destroys weapons of mass destruction.

Germany would contribute troops to the force, which would stay for a period of years.

The plan also includes declaring the whole of Iraq a no-fly zone so that French Mirage IV reconnaissance jets could assist weapons inspectors. At present, the allies maintain a ban on Iraqimilitary air movements over the north and the south of the country.

The Franco-German plan also involves a tight web of trade sanctions including improved export controls in the world's industrialized nations to prevent illegal sales to Iraq, plus agreements with Iraq's neighbors to halt rampant oil smuggling that is now believed to be the Iraqi regime's main source of funding, it said.

Meanwhile, Fischer told the international security meeting that Germany could not be convinced of giving priority to the use of war in solving the Iraqi issue and he asked if Iraq should be the first target for the US government in face of such terrorist attacks as happened on New York and Washington.

Rumsfeld: delay in NATO planning harms credibility of alliance

Speaking at the security meeting, Rumsfeld warned wavering Europeans that the delay in preparations for war in Iraq could make the war more likely while undermining both the NATO alliance and the United Nations.

He described as "inexcusable" moves by France, Germany and Belgium. The three countries insisted NATO's planning to defend Turkey could undermine diplomatic efforts to avert a conflict.

"Those preventing the alliance from taking even minimum measures to prepare to do so risk undermining the credibility of the NATO alliance," Rumsfeld said.

NATO, failing to reach agreement on the issue this week, is to decide by Monday whether to order its military experts to work outplans for the deployment of early warning planes, missile defense batteries and specialized units to Turkey.

"I can't imagine doing that, it is beyond my comprehension ...Turkey is a member of the alliance. To prevent defensive capabilities -- just the planning, not even deployment -- I think that is inexcusable," Rumsfeld said.

"Delaying preparations sends a signal of uncertainty, instead of a signal of unity and resolve," he said.

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