Amid rising violence and public opposition to the occupation, allies want to delay a major commitment until after the U.S. election.
WASHINGTON ≈ The Bush administration's hopes for a major NATO military presence in Iraq this year appear doomed, interviews with allied defense officials and diplomats show.
The Western military alliance had expected to announce at a June summit that it would accept a role in the country, perhaps by leading the international division now patrolling south-central Iraq. But amid continuing bloodshed and strong public opposition to the occupation in many nations, allies want to delay any major commitment until after the U.S. presidential election in November, officials say.
The clear shift in NATO's stance deals another blow to U.S. efforts to spread the military burden as it grapples with a deadly insurgency in Iraq, fury in the region over its endorsement of Israeli plans for Palestinian territories and the unfolding abuse scandal at the American-run Abu Ghraib prison.
Сдается мне, что и с Керри НАТО не сильно захочет связываться. Новому президенту придется приложить титанические усилия, чтобы убедить союзников послать свои войска на столь непопулярную в Европе войну.
Дело, наверное, даже не столько в Буше или Керри как в личностях, как в том что если последний победит, то будут изменения. На месте НАТО я бы тоже не хотел влазить во что-то неизвестно-турбулентное, потому как вылезти потом будет куда сложнее чем влезть...
British diplomats were said to be in "a panic" last night about the damage being done to Britain's reputation abroad because of Tony Blair's support for President George Bush on Iraq.
In an echo of the letter last month by 52 former diplomats protesting at support for US policy in the Middle East, some senior diplomats have privately urged the Foreign Office to distance the British Government from the Bush administration over the abuse of prisoners by US soldiers in Iraq.
A senior Foreign Office official said: "There are telegrams coming in. The diplomats are panicking a bit. Downing Street is determined to hold the line. We can't afford to panic now. To capitulate now would be disaster."
Новому президенту придется приложить титанические усилия, чтобы убедить союзников послать свои войска на столь непопулярную в Европе войну.
