Brussels
France, Germany, and Belgium ripped NATO unity apart this week by refusing to help fellow ally Turkey craft a defense against Iraq. The 19-member alliance was about to release a contingency plan on how to defend Turkey in case of war on its southern border. The three nations vetoed the proposal, saying it would create momentum for war. Turkey immediately requested emergency consultations under NATO’s mutual-defense clause, the first time in alliance history that a member has done so. “I hope [the three] will now realize they have an obligation to assist a NATO member,” said Secretary of State Colin Powell. The U.S. and the other members of NATO said that, in the meantime, they would proceed with plans to defend Turkey.
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