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American Morning

Showdown: Iraq: NATO Rift

Aired February 11, 2003 - 09:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: NATO is facing what some are calling the alliance's biggest crisis. In just over an hour, it will begin its second emergency meeting in as many days. The problem, whether to give military help to Turkey, one of Iraq's neighbors, in case there is a war.
Our Matthew Chance is standing by at NATO headquarters in Brussels and joins us now.

Good morning, Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Paula.

And NATO diplomats are being engaged what are called informal consultations at this stage here at the alliance headquarters to try and find solution to dispute which even NATO officials say is undermining the credibility of the alliance.

France, Germany, Belgium still at odds with the 16 other members of NATO over what to do about Turkey. Turkey has requested NATO assistance in bolstering its defenses ahead of any possible war with Iraq.

France, though, saying the timing is not good, it could imply, they say, that the decision to go to war against Iraq has already been taken, France also saying that it wants to give the U.N. more chance to find a diplomatic peaceful end to the crisis in Iraq.

All this positioning, though, deeply frustrating, not just for the U.S., but for 15 other NATO members who are in favor of helping Turkey at this stage. The U.S., for its part, saying it will go ahead and help Turkey if NATO does not come through. That's got big implications for the future of this alliance -- Paula.

ZAHN: Matthew Chance, we're going to have to leave it there this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired February 11, 2003 - 09:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: NATO is facing what some are calling the alliance's biggest crisis. In just over an hour, it will begin its second emergency meeting in as many days. The problem, whether to give military help to Turkey, one of Iraq's neighbors, in case there is a war.
Our Matthew Chance is standing by at NATO headquarters in Brussels and joins us now.

Good morning, Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Paula.

And NATO diplomats are being engaged what are called informal consultations at this stage here at the alliance headquarters to try and find solution to dispute which even NATO officials say is undermining the credibility of the alliance.

France, Germany, Belgium still at odds with the 16 other members of NATO over what to do about Turkey. Turkey has requested NATO assistance in bolstering its defenses ahead of any possible war with Iraq.

France, though, saying the timing is not good, it could imply, they say, that the decision to go to war against Iraq has already been taken, France also saying that it wants to give the U.N. more chance to find a diplomatic peaceful end to the crisis in Iraq.

All this positioning, though, deeply frustrating, not just for the U.S., but for 15 other NATO members who are in favor of helping Turkey at this stage. The U.S., for its part, saying it will go ahead and help Turkey if NATO does not come through. That's got big implications for the future of this alliance -- Paula.

ZAHN: Matthew Chance, we're going to have to leave it there this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com