Allies leery of stand on Iraq

SALLY BUZBEE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON -- Allies who strongly support the war on terror are squirming as the Bush administration debates whether Iraq should be the next target.

Russia, the Europeans and Arabs -- even NATO -- all have made clear they won't necessarily support military attacks on Iraq.

America must identify "real dangers rather than imaginary," Russia's prime minister said Monday after meeting with President Bush.

'Old enemies'

Germany's deputy foreign minister, noting "the United States has old scores to settle with Iraq," warned, "This terror argument can't be used to legitimize old enmities."

U.S. officials have, in turn, made clear they would be willing to act alone. Iraq, one of three nations along with Iran and North Korea that Bush termed "an axis of evil," poses such a dangerous threat that pre-emptive action might be needed, they say.

At the same time, a senior Pentagon official known for his strong advocacy of attacking Iraq made clear to European allies that Bush hasn't decided what to do.

The president spoke as he did "to begin the kind of debate" that allies have raised, said Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.

"What the president did was to identify a problem," Wolfowitz said. He added: "We are a long way from decisions about what to do."

Ratcheting pressure

Bush's strong words essentially sent a message to Russia and Europe: "Join us now in ratcheting up the pressure on these regimes, or watch later as we act unilaterally," said Antony Blinken, a specialist on U.S.-European relations.

For the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. and British planes patrolling the no-fly zone over northern Iraq bombed Iraqi air defense systems on Monday in response to anti-aircraft fire. Allied planes over northern Iraq have repeatedly been fired on since Sept. 11 but had not responded with bombing until now.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

back to main Home Page Stories index