Istanbul, 29/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - Leaders of the supporters and opponents of the war in Iraq launched by the USA last year, are displaying different interpretations of the commitment made on Monday by NATO to help Iraq train its security forces (see A.N yesterday). The USA and the United Kingdom are welcoming the importance of the commitment by the 26 allied nations. France, however, has played down the importance of the agreement and French president Jacques Chirac has repeated that there was no place for NATO intervention in Iraq. The ambiguous formulation of the draft has allowed for a range of different interpretations. NATO ambassadors now have to outline the scope of the text and the modalities for assistance in cooperation with the Iraqi authorities.
The US side, backed up by a NATO leader, provided assurances that Monday's agreement did not rule out a NATO presence on Iraqi soil. The Italian minister for foreign affairs, Franco Frattini underlined in a press conference that "further commitment" in Iraq was possible. The French president at a press conference, asserted that, "Any trace of NATO on Iraqi soil would be judged inopportune". According to Chirac, if NATO intervened, "the negative consequences, particularly psychological and political, would far outweigh the positive consequences". German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was said to be happy with the agreement on Iraq. Although he reaffirmed that his country would not send troops nor trainers in the field, he did not overtly rule out NATO being able to play a role in Iraq.
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer asserted during a press conference that the declaration was very clear on the subject, NATO would be putting itself forward for training provision. He also said that countries could individually provide training. Jacques Chirac asserted that the role of NATO be limited to its two officer training centres in Germany and Italy and the rest of the training being carried out by members of the Alliance but not by NATO itself.
American president George Bush and the British prime minister Tony Blair held a join press conference in the afternoon. The US president in welcoming the NATO agreement said that people were beginning to see what they were, "liberators". The British prime minister underlined the fact that the international community was getting together thanks to Monday's NATO agreement, which followed the resolution of the United Nations Security Council. Nonetheless, he did recognise that the international community has not yet resolved the disagreement on the question of whether intervention in Iraq was justified.
Spanish prime minister José Luis Zapatero confirmed that Spain did not anticipate any participation on Iraqi soil. Canada indicated that it might continue to train the police in Jordan but would not send trainers into Iraq itself. France is prepared to train law enforcement officers outside Iraq. The Italian minister for foreign affairs, Franco Frattini, confirmed that Italy was prepared to take part in training programmes in or outside Iraq.