NATO leaders back Bush stance on Iraq

Washington believes diplomacy alone will not get results.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Heads of state rallied behind the Bush administration's tough stance toward Iraq, stating at a NATO summit that they "deplore" Saddam Hussein's failure to disarm, and threatening "serious consequences" for any continued violations of U.N. resolutions.
The warning Thursday came as Washington announced it is assembling a broad coalition of up to 50 countries -- including NATO members -- to assist to varying degrees in an overthrow of Saddam if, as some senior U.S. leaders expect, he refuses to give up his weapons programs.
The war preparations reflect Washington's conviction that without a clear threat of military force, diplomacy alone will not goad Saddam into action. "The only reason that inspectors are about to go in is because of the possibility of the use of force to disarm," said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld before a meeting with NATO defense ministers. The tactics bring to mind an Al Capone quote sometimes cited by Rumsfeld, a longtime Chicago resident: "You get more with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone."
Planning is under way
Planning for a war and its aftermath is under way in "a lot" of capitals in addition to Washington, which is receiving responses daily from around the world to its cabled requests for military and nonmilitary support, Rumsfeld says. Gen. Tommy Franks, the U.S. commander who would lead an Iraq campaign, is working to "knit" the contributions into an effective strategy.
"A large number of countries" are offering concrete support -- everything from combat forces that would join a U.S.-led attack, to overflight and basing rights, to security personnel to protect U.S. military bases abroad, to humanitarian workers in a post-Saddam Iraq. In all, there are four or five "baskets" of nations willing to play varying roles, Rumsfeld said.
British Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon revealed Tuesday that he received a formal letter from the United States asking for military assistance in the case of a conflict. Turkey, Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait are just a few of the countries whose facilities and airspace would be central.
The NATO statement, by 19 heads of state, marked a victory for President Bush, who made Iraq a central topic at the summit. He urged the world to join the United States in ensuring that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction are eliminated -- voluntarily or by force.
Victory for Bush
The NATO statement, by 19 heads of state, marked a victory for President Bush, who made Iraq a central topic at the summit. He urged the world to join the United States in ensuring that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction are eliminated -- voluntarily or by force.
Turkey, whose bases and airfields would greatly facilitate a U.S. military campaign, received high priority on Bush's agenda. "We are going to be working very closely with our Turkish friend and ally in the period ahead," said one senior administration official. "It's a terribly important relationship for the United States."