NATO ends crisis over build-up to Iraq war
"Alliance solidarity has prevailed," Nato Secretary-General Lord Robertson said. "We have been able collectively to overcome the impasse."
After France was shut out of the room, the other two holdouts Germany and Belgium dropped their objections to starting planning for Turkey's defence immediately, Nato officials said.
Belgium threw a last-minute wrench into the works by insisting on linking any eventual NATO deployment to developments at the UN Security Council.
Meanwhile, the United States is still determined to wage war on Iraq despite resistance in the United Nations and protests from millions of people around the world.
President George W Bush's national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said consultations were continuing over an additional UN resolution to ensure Saddam Hussein eliminated weapons of mass destruction.
However, she said giving Iraq more time to comply would not solve the problem.
"Continuing to talk about more time and more time is basically going to relieve pressure on the Iraqis to do what they must do," Ms Rice said yesterday.
The EU's 15 foreign ministers meet this morning before the leaders' summit in the afternoon to try to agree policy on Iraq.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has called for immediate action against Saddam Hussein, but France and Germany believe the UN team of weapons inspectors should be strengthened.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is expected to press the UN Security Council to give weapons inspectors more time to do their work in Iraq. Ireland will not be backing any calls for immediate action, Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen said last night.
The next step following last Friday's report from weapons inspector Hans Blix should be to set out for Saddam a list of specific of actions he must make, together with a timetable.
"We must make sure that every action short of military action is taken. We also need to put pressure on Iraq that if they want to resolve this peacefully they must give their full co-operation to the inspectors," he said.
Meanwhile, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said Saturday's anti-war demonstration proved public opinion against a war on Iraq had been underestimated.
More than 80,000 anti-war protesters gathered in Dublin as part of a worldwide day of protest that attracted six million people.
"I think the Government has badly misjudged the depth of anti-war sentiment in this country," he said.
The Labour leader said he would have no problem with the Government granting Saddam Hussein political asylum if it would help avert war.
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