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NATO: 'Moral obligation' to U.S.
LONDON, England -- NATO has a "moral obligation" to support the United States if it launches military action against Iraq, the alliance's chief says. Secretary-General George Robertson told the BBC that Washington has offered NATO a series of options for member nations to contribute to any war. But among NATO members there are still widely differing views on a possible war in Iraq, with Germany having ruled out military participation and Turkey, the alliance's only Muslim member, yet to commit itself. France has expressed serious reservations and played a key role in securing the tough new U.N. resolution that returned weapons inspectors to Iraq after a four year hiatus. The UK meanwhile has so closely allied itself to Washington that some London newspapers -- notably the Mirror, a traditional supporter of the ruling Labour Party -- are questioning Prime Minister Tony Blair's independence. Robertson told the BBC on Thursday: "The decision (on military action) won't be taken by America, the decision will be taken by (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein. "(NATO) is very, very supportive of the United Nations process, and if that breaks down then clearly there is a moral obligation by NATO to give whatever support is required." Robertson said it would be impossible for the United States to go into battle without the support of its allies but that no decisions have been made on what role the other 18 NATO members would play in any conflict. "What the Americans have done in NATO is to suggest a number of options where NATO could help in a military action, and countries have been invited to consider that. But no decisions have yet been taken," he said. Robertson added he was confident that Washington was committed to acting through the United Nations to disarm Saddam. "Up to now the United States has kept very rigidly to the United Nations route. They still do, the inspectors are still there," he said While countries like the UK, Italy and Spain have backed Washington, other nations have voiced serious reservations about attacking Iraq. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder narrowly won a second term this year after ruling out military participation in any Iraq campaign. His coalition partners in government are the generally pacifist Greens. But Schroeder, who received a chilly response from Washington following his victory, has given permission for the United States to use bases in Germany and pass through German airspace if war is declared. This month it was reported that Germany has been asked to provide troops to guard U.S. bases in the event of a conflict to free up U.S. forces. Turkey also would be expected to play a key role in any action against Baghdad as it borders Iraq and is the only Muslim member of NATO. But it is not yet known how the new ruling AKP party, which was born out of a banned Islamist party, will react. Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener told Reuters the influential National Security Council, where generals meet with elected leaders, was expected to discuss the subject later in the week. On Wednesday Turkey's parliament approved the six-month extension of a mandate allowing U.S. and UK warplanes to use Turkish airspace and the Incirlik airbase for no-fly zone patrols of northern Iraq.
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