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Us asks nato wider role { December 4 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
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US asks Nato to consider wider Iraq role
By Judy Dempsey in Brussels
Published: December 4 2003 20:18 | Last Updated: December 4 2003 20:18
Colin Powell, US secretary of state (pictured), on Thursday asked, for the first time, Nato to consider an enhanced role in Iraq, possibly by next year. He insisted, however, the alliance must make Afghanistan a priority.
Diplomats said Mr Powell's approach reflected the twin priorities of estabilising Afghanistan ahead of elections there next year and securing troops from other countries to help Britain and the US rotate their forces in Iraq.
Mr Powell told his 18 Nato counterparts - the alliance will expand to 26 countries next year - that Nato could play a role beyond its present support for the Polish-Spanish led multinational division based in south-central Iraq.
There, Nato provides planning and logistics but as an organisation is not present on the ground.
"We are looking forward to consulting with our friends and allies for an enhanced Nato role in the participation of the Iraqi mission," said Mr Powell. "Everybody expressed support . . . We should start contingency thinking about planning [for Iraq]."
Franco Frattini, Italian foreign minister, said: "We think the time has come to consider a more direct role for the alliance, to provide a framework for security and stabilisation."
Italy has made 3,000 troops available to the coalition forces in Iraq.
Mr Powell needed little prompting for suggesting a bigger role for Nato.
At Monday's meeting of Nato defence ministers, Poland and Spain asked other Nato members to provide more help, even suggesting the alliance take over command. This is what Nato did last August in Kabul after Germany and the Netherlands, the joint commanders of the International Security Assistance Force, could not find other countries to replace them.
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, Polish foreign minister, welcomed Mr Powell's comments. "We want the internationalisation of our operation. It would allow us to diminish our military presence," he said.
Nato's involvement in Iraq was first raised a year ago by Paul Wolfowitz, US deputy defence secretary. But France and Germany sharply opposed any involvement.
On Thursday, however, Joschka Fischer, German foreign minister, declined to comment on whether Berlin would militarily support a bigger role for Nato. France was guarded as well.
Diplomats said both countries were reappraising their policies towards Iraq.
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