U.S. Hopes for Early NATO Role in Iraq Fading

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040512/wl_nm/iraq_nato_dc&cid=574&ncid=1473

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. hopes that NATO would agree at its Istanbul summit next month to take a greater role in stabilizing Iraq have evaporated, diplomats and analysts say.


Worsening violence in occupied Iraq, the prisoner abuse scandal, dismay at U.S. Middle East policy, Spain's decision to withdraw its forces and military "overstretch" in Afghanistan (news - web sites) have combined to make any prospect of the 26-nation alliance taking on greater responsibility remote.


"You can expect a discussion of Iraq at Istanbul, but not a decision," a senior NATO diplomat said.


Analysts said President Bush's backing for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unilateral Gaza withdrawal plan, without consulting European allies, has made the Europeans even less inclined to help out.


"The Bush-Sharon deal alienated the Europeans and made it harder in domestic politics to say 'let's help the Americans pull the chestnuts from the fire'," said Philip Gordon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and co-author of a new book, "Allies at War," on the transatlantic rift over Iraq.

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[Gman]

1. "You think you're the last super-power and you want to act like it?"

"Fine... do it yourself."

[Spazito]

2. It is not only the "you broke it, you fix it" response...

it is a worldwide response to the neocon plan for the world. This has now gone beyond Iraq, imo, this is the world coalescing against a rogue nation.

[BlueMole]

3. A real uniter

the idiot scores again!

:beer:

[rucky]

4. Could Kerry get them on board?

we're inheriting quite a mess here & I'm not sure even a regime change will get other kids to play with us again.

[Beetwasher]

5. Total Fuck-Ups on Every Level

Staggering incompetence...