U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has lashed out at NATO members who are delaying preparations to defend Turkey in the event of war with Iraq. At an international security conference in Munich, Germany Saturday, Mr. Rumsfeld said it is "inexcusable" for France, Germany, and Belgium to block the alliance from preparing to defend Turkey. He warned that the countries holding up defense preparations "risk undermining the credibility of the NATO alliance."
Mr. Rumsfeld also cautioned European allies who favor giving U.N. inspectors more time in Iraq that delaying war preparations could make conflict more likely - not less.
German Defense Minister Peter Struck told the conference he believed NATO members will reach an agreement on Turkey by a Monday deadline. Earlier, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said he is not convinced of the need for military action against Iraq at this time and U.N. weapons inspectors should be given more time.
Meanwhile, a German spokesman says Germany and France are working on a joint initiative to resolve the Iraq crisis peacefully, but he did not provide details. The German news magazine Der Spiegel says the plan calls for tripling the number of U.N. inspectors in Iraq and the deployment of U.N. troops throughout the country.
The magazine says the German-French initiative also involves stricter regulations on exports to Iraq and an international agreement with Iraq's neighbors to prevent oil smuggling.