Bush seeks Nato backing for stand against Saddam
Admitting seven more former Soviet bloc nations and readying Nato forces for rapid-reaction missions worldwide will make the alliance a credible force in the fight against terrorism, President George Bush said today.
On the eve of a two-day summit in Prague at which seven East European neighbours will be invited to join Nato in 2004, Bush urged the alliance to stand by Washington in “a coalition of the willing” ready to ensure that Iraq disarms.
Germany still opposes a war against Iraq. German Defence Minister Peter Struck said, however, the summit would show US-German relations to be on the mend.
“The most important thing is that we have normalised our relationship with the United States. I believe it will be demonstrated at the Nato summit that we are capable of decent cooperation,” he said in the Czech capital.
Before flying to Prague, French President Jacques Chirac again insisted on the primacy of the United Nations, saying on French radio that the UN Security Council “is the sole body authorised to enforce international law.”
Bush and other alliance officials said a larger Nato with more flexible forces will offer greater security to a world in turmoil.
The 19 Nato leaders planned to signal that Nato – born 53 years ago at the outset of the Cold War – remains relevant only if it adapts to today’s threats posed by unstable governments with weapons of mass destruction and terrorists.
At a pre-summit security conference, Czech President Vaclav Havel said: “If the alliance is to be meaningful, it must be able to confront modern dangers” including terrorism.
Bush arrived seeking support in Washington’s stand-off with Iraq.
He said if Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein does not abandon his destructive weapons, “the United States will lead a coalition of the willing to disarm him.”
Havel said: “If the need to use force were to arise, I believe Nato should give honest and speedy consideration to its engagement as an alliance.”
Bush said Nato’s new enemy “is global terrorists who hate freedom, and together we can work to defeat that enemy in the name of freedom.”
At the summit, the Nato leaders will formally invite Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to join the alliance in 2004.
They will also approve a significant makeover of Nato to create a 20,000-strong rapid-reaction force capable of more efficient operations under a new military doctrine focusing on the danger from terrorism, rogue states and the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
Nato Secretary-General Lord Robertson said Iraq would be discussed over lunch Thursday.
He predicted “there will be total unity of the heads of state and governments on support for the Security Council resolution” ordering Saddam to abandon his weapons of mass destruction.
But the Nato chief offered a cautious and measured response when asked if Nato would be prepared to support US military action. “Even in this beautiful city, I don’t think it is wise to cross bridges before you come to them,” he said.
Germany, opposed to Iraq’s disarmament by force, has said it will not join a war.
Bush declined to see that as a snub, saying: “It’s a decision Germany will make, just like it’s a decision the Czech Republic will make, just like it’s a decision Great Britain will make. It’s a decision that each country must decide as to how, if and when they want to participate, and how they choose to participate.”
