Bush urges NATO to stand against Iraq
Posted on 11/20/2002 3:47:24 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
Bush urges NATO to stand against Iraq
President says it's possible to avoid war
11/20/2002
PRAGUE, Czech Republic - In this locked-down Bohemian capital patrolled by U.S. F-16 jets, President Bush exhorted NATO allies to stand with him in a "coalition of the willing" against Iraq's Saddam Hussein so that war might be averted.
During a news conference with Czech President Vaclav Havel, Bush said it is possible to avoid war. "If the collective will of the world is strong, we can achieve disarmament peacefully," the president said.
But, Bush added, if Saddam does not abandon destructive weapons, "the United States will lead a coalition of the willing to disarm him."
Bush, the first of 19 NATO leaders to come here for an alliance summit focused on expansion and modernization, met separately with Havel on Wednesday. At a joint news conference in the splendor of Prague Castle, Bush said disarming Saddam by force is the United States' "last choice."
| Also Online | ||||||||||
|
But if it comes to war, the United States would take the lead, Bush promised. "And at that point in time, all our nations - we will consult with our friends - and all nations will be able to choose whether or not they want to participate."
Havel said he prefers that Saddam peacefully surrender his weapons of mass destruction. "If, however, the need to use force were to arise, I believe NATO should give honest and speedy consideration to its engagement as an alliance," the Czech president said.
Summit diplomats have already said the alliance will not take up arms collectively against Iraq. Bush instead sought individual pledges of backup if war comes. He noted that the Czech Republic maintains army units that are among "the very best in the world" in responding to chemical and biological attacks, as are feared in any confrontation with Saddam's military.
Still, Havel emphasized his desire to see a collective NATO expression of support - whether military or political - and said he hopes NATO will address the Iraq crisis in some sort of formal summit statement.
Bush, in turn, underscored that individual nations have an interest in helping the United States both disarm Saddam and take on terrorists around the globe.
"Ours is a war against individuals who absolutely hate what America stands for and hate the freedom of the Czech Republic and therefore we must must work together to defend ourselves. And by remaining strong and united and tough we'll prevail," Bush said.
Bush declined to say whether his "zero tolerance" policy toward Iraq would apply to Iraqi attempts to shoot down coalition aircraft patrolling the no-fly zone.
"We'll deal with that," Bush said, without elaborating. "The United States will take appropriate action."
Bush was also meeting with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer of Turkey - which shares a border with Iraq and offers military bases critical to any U.S.-led attack - and with NATO Secretary-General George Robertson in advance of the summit that convenes Thursday under extraordinary security.
Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac were in line for separate meetings with Bush on Thursday. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was getting the official cold shoulder after infuriating Bush by riding to re-election on a campaign opposing Bush's Iraq policy.
Asked about the lingering friction, Bush said Wednesday that Germany, like all NATO allies, is free to decide on its own whether to participate in Iraq's disarmament.
The administration disclosed that U.S. ambassadors in 50 countries have been told to solicit support from allies for personnel and equipment to assist U.S. forces in the war on terrorism and, possibly, an attack on Iraq.
A senior administration official, speaking Wednesday on condition of anonymity, said the preliminary surveys are meant to formalize offers of support that have been made to Washington on an ad hoc basis for months.
The solicitations were first reported by The Washington Post.
The president had a speech to students scheduled Wednesday at the Radio Free Europe headquarters. Threats surrounding that address were so serious, law enforcement officials said, that it was moved to a sequestered hotel along the riverfront. On Tuesday, railway workers found an explosive device on city tracks.
Beginning his fourth trip to Europe as president, Mr. Bush touched down in Prague on Tuesday night amid extraordinary security amassed to thwart protesters determined to disrupt the summit and terrorists who might see it as a tempting target.
U.S. fighter jets patrolled the skies, and thousands of heavily armed police and Czech soldiers stood watch throughout the city. Schools were closed, and many downtown workers were urged to stay home.
The two-day NATO meeting was scheduled months ago as an expansion summit to accept new members. Seven countries are set to join - Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
But their ascension has been eclipsed a bit by new urgent priorities to reshape NATO into a more limber military force to handle regional conflicts and fight terrorism, wherever it might be.
"NATO ain't what it used to be," said Strobe Talbott, president of the Brookings Institution. "The question is whether that's good, bad, ambiguous, and whether it's relevant to the new world."
Whatever the case, NATO is growing for a second time - Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joined in 1999 - in an expansion embraced early by the Bush administration.
"This is a historic event for Europe and for the trans-Atlantic alliance," Ms. Rice said, noting that all of Europe was moving closer to a "continent that is whole, free and at peace."
Also high on the NATO agenda is a 20,000-troop rapid reaction force, advocated by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to respond to crises around the world, and the evolving partnership with Russia.
Iraq will certainly be discussed, Ms. Rice said, and, "I suspect that we will hear from NATO partners what they are prepared to do and what they can do."
Statement of support
Ms. Rice said she also expected a NATO statement of support against Iraq, despite opposition from Germany to a military strike - particularly a unilateral one by the United States - and qualms from other countries as well.
Mr. Bush's relationship with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has been strained since the chancellor campaigned for re-election on a platform opposing war with Iraq, and the justice minister in his government was quoted comparing Mr. Bush to Hitler.
Mr. Bush plans private meetings in Prague with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and a handful of other leaders - but not Mr. Schroeder.
"I'm sure that the chancellor and the president will see each other at the summit," Ms. Rice said, but not in a formal meeting.
Just how much the two leaders will see of each other was unclear, although Mr. Rumsfeld recently pronounced the relationship "unpoisoned."
Most analysts believe, however, that neither Mr. Bush nor Mr. Schroeder will allow their differences to cast a shadow over the summit.
A little thaw, perhaps
"The president will want this meeting to be a success," said James Steinberg, vice president of Brookings, "and it isn't going to be a success if the centerpiece of the meeting is a continued, frosty, noncommunicative relationship between the United States and Germany."
Down the road, analysts suggested, the strained U.S.-German relationship could pose other sticky problems for the United States as it begins deploying additional forces for a possible war against Iraq.
"If Germany does not cooperate fully with the issue of basing rights and also overflight rights, I believe this would cause a serious rift in U.S.-German relations," said Nile Gardiner, a visiting fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation's Davis Institute for International Studies. "The consequences are very, very serious for the long term."
In the end, though, he said he expected that Germany would go along, and that other NATO allies - France, Poland and the Czech Republic, for example - would contribute directly to the military mission.
"Iraq will be an interesting testing ground," Mr. Gardiner said.
The president came to Prague, flush from the Republican midterm election victories and a tough new resolution from the U.N. Security Council demanding that Iraq abandon its development of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
Particularly, analysts said, the 15-0 unanimity of the U.N. vote has turned heads throughout Europe and much of the rest of the world and given Mr. Bush a boost.
"He may not be greatly liked in Europe, but he's increasingly respected," Mr. Gardiner said. "He is seen as a man of his word, as a man who means what he says and is determined to carry it out."
Still, while some analysts liken Mr. Bush's five-day tour this week to a victory lap, there is strong opposition throughout Europe to a military move against Iraq, especially by the United States alone.
In France or Germany, Mr. Bush would surely encounter huge, boisterous street demonstrations. And there will be a "lot of noise and clamor" in Prague, as Mr. Bush told a group of European journalists before he left Washington.
But, on most of this trip throughout Eastern Europe, with a quick stop in Russia to confer with President Vladimir Putin, Mr. Bush is expected to be warmly received - particularly in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Bucharest, Romania, two of the seven new NATO inductees.
"You can imagine what it will be like in Vilnius when they finally get into NATO," said Mr. Steinberg, who like Mr. Talbott was a senior adviser in the Clinton administration. "This is going to be an extraordinary moment."
Friday in Russia, Mr. Bush is scheduled to meet with Mr. Putin for 90 minutes to discuss an agenda growing increasingly long and complex.
Iraq on the agenda
They'll talk about Iraq, the global war on terrorism and the seizure last month of a Moscow theater by Chechen guerillas, aides said, as well as the expansion of NATO.
"Russia is a friend, not an enemy," Mr. Bush told the European journalists, adding that it has nothing to fear from a growing NATO.
"I've got a good friend in the fight against terrorism in Vladimir Putin," Mr. Bush said. "He understands the stakes, and so do I.
"He understands that as you embrace freedom and embrace change ... there will be people who resent that and want to impose their will."
The Associated Press contributed information to this report.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
