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Friday, Jan. 24, 2003

"Many more" nations - Britain, Australia, Italy and East European members of NATO - have indicated support for the United States, and more would make themselves known if war becomes necessary, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters.

President Bush understood the complexities facing the two nations, and if France and Germany did not participate in disarming Iraq if force became necessary, it would be their choice, Fleischer noted.

"This is difficult for many members of the Security Council, and they are approaching it reflecting the difficulty of it. And the president is respectful of that. He understands it, and he will continue to lead, and it is their prerogative if they chose, to be on the sideline.

"It is entirely possible for good friends to stay on the sidelines. There will be many more good friends who'll heed the call if it comes down to it."

America will not be alone if it decides war is necessary, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday after meeting with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

"The problem is Saddam Hussein and his willingness to disarm," Powell said.

"He has materials. He has weapons. He has intentions to create more weapons of mass destruction. He has used this kind of weaponry in the past against his own people and his neighbors.

"This," Powell said, "is the challenge that must be met."

Rumsfeld Dismisses 'Old Europe'

The comments follow remarks Wednesday by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who said France and Germany had a been "a problem." But he added they were "old Europe. If you look at the entire NATO Europe today, the center of gravity is shifting to the east. And there are a lot of new members."

French Finance Minister Francis Mer said he was "profoundly vexed" by the remarks.

"I wanted to remind everyone that this 'old Europe' has resilience, and is capable of bouncing back," Mer told LCI television. "And it will show it, in time."

History Repeats: France as Germany's Puppet

French President Jacques Chirac, speaking at a ceremony Wednesday marking the 40th anniversary of the French-German friendship treaty, said the two nations were in agreement that the crisis with Iraq must be handled by the U.N. Security Council alone.

The statement followed earlier comments by Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin that France would oppose any move toward military action and wanted U.N. weapons inspectors to continue their work indefinitely.

The inspectors, who returned to Iraq two months ago after a four-year hiatus, were preventing by their very presence Iraq pursuing arms programs, he argued.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, adamantly opposed to military action, repeated his pledge Wednesday to do all in his power to prevent a war.

France, as a permanent member of the Security Council, could veto any resolution approving military action for Iraq' s continued violation of U.N. disarmament mandates. Russia and China, which also have a veto also oppose military action. Of the veto-wielding permanent five, only the United States and Britain favor using force to disarm Iraq at this stage.

Money Makes the World Go 'Round

As Fox News Channel reported Thursday, Germany and France have financial interests in Iraq that a war would threaten.

French and German skittishness has increased as the Security Council nears the Jan. 27 date for inspectors making a key report on their findings. Many believe the date will mark the beginning of the final stage of plans for U.S. military action against Iraq, a view underlined by the flow of tens of thousands of troops to the region.

The two nations' reservations had their first real effect Wednesday. NATO, which operates on consensus, put off a decision about how to aid the United States and its anti-Saddam coalition, especially NATO member Turkey that borders Iraq, at the urging of France and Germany, joined by Belgium.

NATO Secretary General George Robertson sought Thursday to play down the decision.

"This is not some sort of bust-up," he told reporters. "It is a disagreement over timing, not substance."

Fleischer stressed again that President Bush had not yet reached a decision on military action and was awaiting the Jan. 27 report.

"The president remains hopeful that this can be handled in a way that is peaceful and the United States and our allied nations will not have to resort to force," he said. "That would be the best result in the president's judgment.

"But the president has said this is entering a final phase and it is becoming increasingly clear that Saddam Hussein is entering the final phase having made the decision he will not disarm, that he will continue to deceive the inspectors in a way that is creating increasing tension between Iraq and the inspectors, and that he will enter the final phase with a lie.

"[But] let's see what the inspectors report. We'll evaluate what the report is, what it says and make any determination after," he said.

Fleischer stressed that any action by the U.S. military would be part of a multi-lateral effort with a "robust coalition of the willing."

Talk of unilateral action, he insisted, was outdated and reflected an earlier point in a standoff between Iraq and the United States and not between Iraq and the world.

Copyright 2003 by United Press International.

All rights reserved.

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