A formal meeting of NATO ambassadors broke up after just 15 minutes today with diplomats saying there had been no progress in a dispute on Iraq.NATO states met to discuss the Alliance's split after France, Germany, and Belgium blocked US attempts to deploy forces to protect Turkey in the event of military action.
The meeting was originally scheduled for 10.30 a.m., then 3.30 p.m. Two meetings in Brussels yesterday failed to resolve the deadlock.
Earlier a NATO official said that "intensive informal consultations" were taking place before today's meeting were ongoing. "This should not be taken as a bad sign. It shows our determination to come to a solution," he added.
An angry rift developed yesterday when France, German and Belgium vetoed US plans for the deployment of AWACS surveillance planes, Patriot missiles and anti-chemical and biological warfare teams on the Turkey Iraq border.
The three European states argued the move would send a premature signal that war had begun and diplomatic efforts to solve the crisis were over.
France and Germany also joined Russia yesterday to call for more time to be given to UN arms inspections in Iraq, for more inspectors to be sent to the Gulf and for further diplomatic effort to be made.
All three are members of the UN Security Council and France and Russia have veto powers that could kill any new UN resolution authorising war.
The United States and British are furious over yesterday's move, which President Bush called "shortsighted".
"I am disappointed that France would block NATO from helping a country like Turkey prepare. I don't understand that decision. It affects the alliance in a negative way," Mr Bush said.
The US ambassador to NATO accused the doves of plunging organisation into a "crisis of credibility" and US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called the action a "disgrace." He said it would not delay any attack on Iraq.
Diplomats in Brussels said the initiative had come from French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder but that others around them had serious doubts about appearing to shy away from assisting an ally.
One senior NATO official said the majority of the 19 allies were determined not to allow Turkey go defenseless.
AFPand