NATO won't authorize start to military support on Iraq

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Despite a U.N. report sharply critical of Iraq, NATO will delay a U.S. proposal to send surveillance planes and Patriot missiles to Turkey as part of the buildup for military action, a senior diplomat said Tuesday.

The closed meeting of ambassadors from the 19 NATO nations remained deadlocked on the issue, with Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg insisting on more time before ordering the military to start planning for a limited alliance role in an Iraq conflict, diplomats said.

But a senior European diplomat said there would "definitely not" be a decision to trigger the military preparations when a full meeting of the North Atlantic Council -- NATO's policy making body, takes up the issue again today.

Meanwhile, the lack of progress is increasing tension among the allies. The United States, Britain and others are pushing for planning to start, but the France and Germany worry about sending a wrong signal while diplomatic efforts seek to avoid a war.

NATO officials have stressed that all the allies back the U.S. proposals, which include sending AWACS surveillance planes and Patriot missiles to protect Turkey from any Iraqi counter strike. They insist the differences are only about the timing of orders for the military planners to start work.

Still, diplomats said the debate was becoming tense as the deadlock continued at the ambassadors' weekly private lunch ahead of the NAC meeting.

NATO declined to comment formally on the confidential lunch, but French and Belgian officials said their governments' position remained unchanged.

Limited assistance sought

Two weeks ago, the United States requested limited help from the alliance should war break out with Iraq.

Its proposals focused on protecting Turkey, a NATO member that borders Iraq and could be a base for U.S. strikes on its southern neighbor.

Other ideas included stepping up naval patrols in the Mediterranean, provide planning facilities, replacing U.S. troops sent from Europe to the Gulf and perhaps a peacekeeping role for NATO in a postwar Iraq.

NATO officials had expected a change in position from the four after Monday's report from the U.N. weapons inspectors, which charged that Iraq has never genuinely accepted U.N. resolutions demanding its disarmament and had failed to cooperate fully with inspections.

Diplomats at NATO headquarters have stressed the allies were united on the need protect Turkey but some were wary of appearing to endorse military options while hopes of a peaceful solution remained through the U.N. weapons inspections.

The differences within the alliance run deep, with the French and Germans opposing any rush toward military action while the United States and Britain intensify their military build up on Iraq's borders.

The dispute is raising doubts about NATO's future, just two months after leaders at a summit proclaimed the Cold War alliance was reinventing itself to tackle modern threats from terrorism and rogue states.

"The alliance as a practical military organization is in its last days," said Sir Timothy Garden, of London's Royal Institute of International Affairs.

He added that the United States was increasingly looking to build tailor-made coalitions for conflicts rather than rely on NATO where all decisions need unanimous support.

"It terms of real military operations we've seen a trend ... NATO itself does not have much to offer," Garden said.