War opponents in Europe to boost military cooperation

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The leaders of France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg agreed Tuesday to boost their military cooperation, aiming to make Europe's defense less dependent on the United States.

The four, among the most vocal European opponents of the U.S.-led attack on Iraq, agreed to create a military center by the summer of 2004 in Belgium "for operational planning and command of EU-led operations without recourse to NATO assets."

However, they stressed that their plans would strengthen the Atlantic alliance rather than undermine it.

"This is not directed against NATO," German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said. "It's a reinforcement of NATO, because it will strengthen the European pillar."

Officials from Britain, the United States and other NATO allies had warned that the four-nation initiative risked aggravating divisions within the alliance over the Iraq war.

The plans will be presented to the 11 other EU nations at a meeting of foreign ministers this weekend in Greece and debated in June at the EU summit, also in Greece.