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Bush has vowed to lead "a coalition of the willing" against Iraq
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WASHINGTON,
November 20 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The United States has
begun "sounding out" some 50 countries on what they could
contribute to a possible war against Iraq should Baghdad not disarm,
the State Department said Wednesday, November 20.
Deputy
spokesman Philip Reeker said U.S. diplomats had been instructed to ask
their host governments about assistance, from combat troops and
materiel to transport and logistics, they might be able to provide if
Iraq does not comply with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 that
demands disarmament.
"The
United States is engaged in discussions with a large number of
"like-minded" governments about what may need to be done if
Iraq does not comply with Security Council Resolution 1441," he
said.
Reeker
would not say how many countries had been approached, but a senior
State Department official said earlier that at least 50 and as many as
52 had received the requests.
The
official declined to identify the countries, but said the core was
"the usual suspects" of nations, such as NATO members and
other close U.S. allies, like Australia, that have backed previous
military action by Washington.
Britain,
Canada, Denmark, France and Norway have said they have been approached
by the United States for possible military help in the event of a
conflict with Iraq, but indicated they had not yet decided how to
respond.
Reeker
said the effort had been undertaken in order to impress on Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein the seriousness with which the United States
takes the situation.
"Planning
for potential military action is both necessary, to increase the
pressure on Iraq to comply with the will of the international
community, and prudent, in the event that Iraq again refuses to do
so," he said.
Reeker
insisted Washington, which has reserved the right to act alone in
disarming Iraq of alleged weapons of mass destruction should the
United Nations fail to do so, was still committed to pursuing what he
called a peaceful approach.
"Our
focus right now is on the Security Council resolution and we're
watching to see how Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi regime go about and
react to that in terms of compliance and disarmament," he said.
But
he stressed the need to prepare for war and said the U.S. requests
dealt with "possible participation in and support for a future
coalition" against Iraq, including military contributions and
other means.
"This
is the beginning of a discussion that [includes] what we might do,
what needs to be done, what may need to be done if Iraq does not
comply," he said.
Speaking
earlier ahead of a NATO summit in Prague, President George W. Bush
said he will consult U.S. allies before any military action against
Iraq, but that it would be up to them to decide whether and how to
participate.
"If
the decision is made to use military force, we will consult with our
friends and we hope that our friends will join us," Bush said
during a joint appearance with Czech President Vaclav Havel.
"It's
a decision that each country must decide as to how, if and when they
want to participate and how they choose to participate."
Bush
has vowed to lead "a coalition of the willing" to disarm
Baghdad by force if the U.N. Security Council is unable or unwilling
to specifically authorize such action itself.
Although
chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix stressed Wednesday his talks
with Iraqi officials had been constructive, Washington officially
asked London to mobilize troops for a possible deployment in Iraq.
