Army Story 04-15

Jerusalem Compassed with Armies

Clearly this single prophetic event will take place with great swiftness. We will post stories of any troop movements in the Middle East and any stories relating to increased military power among the nations.

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Poland urges Nato to take over its Iraq command role
By Judy Dempsey in Brussels

Poland, backed by other countries serving in the US-led coalition in Iraq, is pressing Nato to take the place of its own forces in leading a multinational division in Iraq.

The move raises the possibility the Atlantic alliance could take on a significant role in Iraq, once sovereignty is handed over to the new interim government on June 30. European Union diplomats have raised a separate suggestion, however, that the EU could send a force of its own.

Nato supports the Polish-led multinational force with planning and logistics but is not present on the ground as a military organisation.

Nato diplomats said Iraq was "definitely" on the agenda for the Nato summit in Istanbul later this month. "Things are moving quicker than we expected at the UN Security Council. We will not be able to duck the issue," one said.

Experts say Nato is mulling three options for taking on a greater role in Iraq. One is that it takes over the command of the Polish-led multinational division. This would allow Poland to bring home some of its 2,400 troops without withdrawing all of them. Another is that Nato, in addition, takes over the British sector by providing its rapid reaction planning headquarters. The third is for Nato to train the Iraqi army.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Nato secretary-general, said it was "too early to say" what kind of role the alliance would play. It depended on the UN Security Council resolution, a UN mandate for Nato "and the Iraqi people", he said.

France and Germany, while opposed to a Nato deployment in Iraq, are not expected to veto it. Michel Barnier, French foreign minister, said last week France "at the moment" would not send troops but would not block a Nato role.

In what amounted to a competing proposal, an EU military expert suggested that the EU could send a force to Iraq. "It is very tentative. If conditions were right we could send a brigade of around 8,000 soldiers to protect the UN or help train the police. It would give the EU a real presence on the ground," said a senior EU diplomat.

Several countries, including some of the new EU members, said they could back the idea but had been told no details. France, an opponent of the war in Iraq reluctant to give Nato any big role in Iraq, would be particularly interested.

Last August, France commanded a 1,300-strong EU-led operation in the Congo, the EU's first mission outside Europe, and independent of Nato.

Even if Nato's conditions were met, senior alliance diplomats were sceptical the nations would provide the capabilities and troops. "Look at Afghanistan. The Nato nations are still not delivering the necessary and basic military capabilities," said a Nato military official. "Would we do any better in Iraq?" See Comment and Analysis

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