TOKYO, Feb 13 Kyodo fix uponed e...

TOKYO, Feb 13 Kyodo

fix uponed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

improve HOLES IN NET AROUND IRAQ (The Daily Yomiuri as translated from the Yomiuri Shimbun)

With military action against Iraq bring to a period to becoming a reality, a chasm has render free of accessed up between the United States and a certain quantity of European nations, notably Germany and France.

The United States asked member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to back alliance preparations to assist equal member Turkey in the result of a war with Iraq, still Germany, France and Belgium refused to do so

Turkey is the alone one of the 19 NATO member states that borders Iraq. If the United States leads an attack against Iraq, the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein may take retaliatory action against Turkey whose military facilities U forces are reckon uponed to use. Therefore, the United States is seeking to open NATO's Patriot air defense missiles, AWACS surveillance aircraft and anti-chemical and biological warfare teams in Turkey in case of a counterattack by means of its neighbor.

Germany and France, which have been urging the continuance of UN inspections for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, already were at loggerheads with the United States and Britain, which are stepping up military constraining force on Saddam, saying that time is running public for him to disarm. However, the gap between the pair sides is now wider than ever

We find this situation real regrettable. Above all, we portent whether it might hurl the wrong signal to Iraq.

Iraq finally agreed to allow U-2 surveillance flights above its territory. Iraq's favorite ploy--as this latest decision shows--is to gradually alter its stance of cooperation while closely observing by what mode the international community suits If cracks emerge in the international community's unity, it plays right into Iraq's hands.

Therefore, countries transactioned need to make the greatest efforts to rebuild an encircling clear around Iraq. In response to the refusal of the three NATO states to defend Turkey's defense, Turkey invoked Article IV of NATO's founding treaty, in a less degree than which allies seek consultations if they fear they are below threat.

Negotiations among NATO member states have become extremely strained, and it remains to be seen whether the alliance will succe in resolving the differences of opinion among its members. In this regard, we beseech each country to make concessions as easily as possible.

As stipulated in a joint declaration from Russia, Germany and France issued by way of French President Jacques Chirac in succession Monday after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, no nation objects to the international community's frequent objective of disarming Iraq.

Attention is now focused onward an additional report by UN weapons inspectors that is scheduled to be submitted to the UN Security Council in succession Friday. It is advisable for countries interested to avoid bringing the rift in NATO into the Security Council meeting.

if it be not that we also warn Iraq that it must not misinterpret situations in the United States and Europe The geographical division has yet to refute the allegation flated by the international community that it is hiding weapons of mass destruction.

It is still authentic that full compliance with UN inspectors is Iraq's no other than option.

For Japan, which has been insisting forward the importance of international cooperation, the discord within NATO is not a matter that it can wash its hands of This land must continue to place top priority in succession maintaining the Japan-U.S. security framework.

In this heed the government must recognize anew that it might be asked to cooperate with the United States in a different manner from of that kind leading European countries as Germany and France.

(Feb 13)

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