NATO: NATO ambassadors are expected to meet through the weekend in an effort to resolve their dispute about preparations for a war in Iraq. Germany indicated yesterday that an agreement to boost Turkey's defence will be possible after the UN chief weapons inspector, Dr Hans Blix, reports to the Security Council today.
The Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schröder, hinted that France was more strongly opposed to an early deal within NATO than the other two rebels, Germany and Belgium. "Together with our friends from France and Belgium, we do not think that a formal decision would be appropriate before the discussion of the UN Security Council.
"We will act in harmony with our partners in France. Our solidarity with Turkey, as well as solidarity in the alliance, is not in question. But we also - unlike the opposition - see unity of action with France particularly in the current situation as indispensable."
Germany's Foreign Minister, Mr Joschka Fischer, said he had been working hard to persuade France to agree to a NATO deal on Turkey's defence.
Ambassadors from NATO's 19 member-states failed yesterday for the fourth successive day to agree to send Patriot missiles, AWACS surveillance aircraft and anti-chemical and anti-biological warfare equipment to Turkey, the only NATO member to share a border with Iraq. Proposals to replace soldiers in the Balkans who might be needed for duty in the Persian Gulf and to step up security at US army bases in Europe were dropped earlier this week.
The split within NATO reflects a deep division within the EU between supporters of the US approach to Iraq, led by Britain and Spain, and advocates of more time for weapons inspectors led by France and Germany. The EU has invited the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, to attend a meeting of EU leaders on Monday evening.
On Wednesday EU ambassadors rejected a British call for the 13 candidate countries to be invited to attend the meeting. Leaders from the candidate countries, 10 of which have been invited to join the EU in 2004, will be briefed on the meeting's conclusions on Tuesday.
In a letter to the Greek Prime Minister, Mr Costas Simitis, who will chair Monday's meeting, the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, said the summit should back military action against Iraq if necessary.
"While we all of course regard military action as a last resort, we must make clear that no member-state rules it out if needed to uphold the authority of the Security Council," he said.
Mr Blair said President Saddam Hussein had one last chance to co-operate unconditionally with UN disarmament resolutions or leave, "but failing that we should be clear that Saddam faces immediate and serious consequences".
