seruriermarshal
05-27-2004, 07:16 PM
US says talks on Iraq role for NATO just starting
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AFP) May 27, 2004
The White House said Thursday that it's too early to predict the results of talks on a possible role for NATO in Iraq following the June 30 transfer of sovereignty.
"Those are discussions that have just really gotten underway, in terms of NATO's role in the future of Iraq," spokesman Scott McClellan said as US President George W. Bush made a campaign stop here.
"We will continue to have discussions with NATO members going forward, as we head into the summit in Turkey. And we'll have further discussions at that summit. But those discussions are just in the early stages and they'll have further discussions at NATO, at the NATO summit," he said.
McClellan said that 15 of the alliance's 26 members are already taking part in US-led military efforts to pacify Iraq.
"I'm not going to try to speculate about it at this point, speculate about what future role NATO may or may not play, because those discussions are really just getting underway," he said.
France, Germany and Belgium have resisted giving NATO a formal role in Iraq, and the issue is expected to arise when Bush travels to the alliance's late-June summit in Turkey.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AFP) May 27, 2004
The White House said Thursday that it's too early to predict the results of talks on a possible role for NATO in Iraq following the June 30 transfer of sovereignty.
"Those are discussions that have just really gotten underway, in terms of NATO's role in the future of Iraq," spokesman Scott McClellan said as US President George W. Bush made a campaign stop here.
"We will continue to have discussions with NATO members going forward, as we head into the summit in Turkey. And we'll have further discussions at that summit. But those discussions are just in the early stages and they'll have further discussions at NATO, at the NATO summit," he said.
McClellan said that 15 of the alliance's 26 members are already taking part in US-led military efforts to pacify Iraq.
"I'm not going to try to speculate about it at this point, speculate about what future role NATO may or may not play, because those discussions are really just getting underway," he said.
France, Germany and Belgium have resisted giving NATO a formal role in Iraq, and the issue is expected to arise when Bush travels to the alliance's late-June summit in Turkey.