Iraqi Minister Appeals for Quick NATO Aid

Associated Press ^ | 7/13/04 | PAUL AMES

[TexKat]

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari appealed Tuesday for NATO to quickly begin its promised mission to train his country's armed forces and provide assistance including military hardware.

"We need this training ... to be carried out as soon as possible," Zebari told reporters at NATO headquarters. "We are in a race against time — it's a matter of urgency."

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the 26 allies would decide this month on launching the training mission.

He said the alliance would also consider Zebari's requests for military equipment, help guarding Iraq's borders and protection for a U.N. mission in the country ahead of elections in January.

"We need the United Nations to be established in Iraq. The United Nations needs security for its facilities, installations, personnel, so we have made that request for NATO ... to help us," Zebari said.

The U.N. withdrew its staff from Iraq after the bombing of its headquarters in Baghdad in August 2003, which killed 22 people including top U.N. envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello.

De Hoop Scheffer said he plans to present allies this month with options for a wider alliance role in Iraq beyond the military training pledged by NATO leaders late last month at a summit in Turkey.

He said NATO military experts would present allied governments with options for the training mission "very soon indeed" after a fact-finding trip to Baghdad last week. Diplomats said they expected the military would report within days.

The issue is sensitive, however, because of differences within the alliance. French President Jacques Chirac made clear at the Istanbul summit that he did not want a visible NATO presence inside Iraq.

Chirac suggested the training should be done outside the country or be handled by nations on a bilateral level. U.S. officials say a meaningful training operation must include NATO involvement on the ground in Iraq.

Zebari, making his first visit to alliance headquarters since his government took over from the U.N. occupation authorities last month, said the Baghdad authorities wanted the training "to be carried out inside Iraq."

The American ambassador to NATO, Nicholas Burns, said he'd assured Zebari "of full U.S. support for creating a NATO training effort on the ground as soon as possible."

De Hoop Scheffer said NATO's options included training for border security, training either carried out by nations individually or collectively by NATO in Iraq, helping the Iraqis set up a nationwide command network for the military and opportunities for training outside Iraq.

"These efforts ... must be visible very quickly indeed," he said.

Zebari urged the appointment of a liaison officer at Iraq's embassy in Brussels to ensure better communication between NATO and the Baghdad government.

Until now, NATO's role in Iraq has been limited to providing logistical backup to the Polish-led multinational division working with the U.S.-led coalition. Opposition led by France and Germany ruled out any wider role before the United States handed power to the Iraqi government last month.

Zebari left NATO headquarters to hold talks with Javier Solana, foreign policy representative of the European Union, which on Monday agreed to an Iraqi request for more involvement in rebuilding his country.

The EU is already the largest donor of humanitarian aid, but officials said plans for dispatching EU personnel depended on improved security in Iraq.

The bloc has committed to spend $371 million in humanitarian and reconstruction for Iraq this year; a similar commitment is expected next year. Further proposals being considered by the EU include helping train Iraqi police and civil servants, preparing for elections and assisting in reconstruction and administration.

[TexKat]

Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari addresses the media at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday July 13, 2004. Zebari held talks at NATO headquarters Tuesday as the alliance draws up plans to help train his government's fledgling military and mulls further assistance. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

[TexKat]

Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari addresses the media at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday July 13, 2004. Zebari held talks at NATO headquarters Tuesday as the alliance draws up plans to help train his government's fledgling military and mulls further assistance. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

French President Jacques Chirac gestures during a news conference at the NATOsummit in Istanbul, June 29, 2004. Chirac crossed swords with Washington at a NATO summit that ended Tuesday, demonstrating that Franco-U.S. relations are at best still lukewarm after last year's bust-up over Iraq. Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Reuters

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer addresses a news conference in Berne, July 5, 2004. De Hoop Scheffer, who informed the Swiss government of the results of the June 28-29 NATO Istanbul Summit, expressed hopes of further Swiss engagements notably in Afghanistan. REUTERS/Pascal Lauener

NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer, right, shakes hands with Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday July 13, 2004. Zebari held talks at NATO headquarters Tuesday as the alliance draws up plans to help train his government's fledgling military and mulls further assistance. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

The United States is hoping for an early decision on what form NATO training for Iraqi armed forces will take, US NATO envoy Nicholas Burns said.(AFP/BELGA/File)