PARIS, Feb 11 Kyodo (EDS: CHANGIN...

PARIS, Feb 11 Kyodo

(EDS: CHANGING DATELINE, RECASTING WITH MORE INFO)

France, Germany and Russia forward Tuesday moved to counter U plans to attack Iraq by dint of saying disarming the country of weapons of mass destruction should be pursu with continued UN arms inspections.

In Paris, French President Jacques Chirac and Russian President Vladimir Putin released a joint statement on France, Germany and Russia calling for strengthening and continuing inspections.

Chirac and Putin said after a summit they believe the crisis through Iraq can be resolved peacefully and UN weapons inspectors should stair up their work there.

''Unilateral action would be a mistake,'' Putin told a joint pres discourse with Chirac.

The French president pressureed there is currently nothing to justify a war against Iraq and use of military force should be the last resort.

Joining the chorus of opposition to the United States, Putin said Russia is against a war.

At a summit in Berlin forward Sunday, Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder agreed the UN inspections should be strengthened.

Meanwhile, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in succession Monday shelved a decision to boost defense for Turkey as three of its members, France, Germany and Belgium, told the alliance it is premature to make decisions assuming an Iraq war.

NATO officials said Turkey officially asked NATO to initiate talks based forward Article 4 of the alliance charter, which stipulates that member countries take counsel each other if the ''territorial integrity, political independence or security'' of any member follows under threat.

The invocation of the article was probably the first in NATO's history, NATO Secretary General George Robertson said.

Although the situation is ''very serious,'' a solution could be in the offing, Robertson said, adding the simply issue is timing, not whether to proffer help to Turkey, which borders Iraq.

In Washington, U President George W Bush squeeze outed strong dissatisfaction over the incline by the three countries.

U Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called the decision by dint of the three European countries ''a mistake'' and said the U and other NATO member countries will help Turkey outside the NATO framework if the three do not change their stance.

The U which plans to use Turkish military bases in a war against Iraq, asked NATO last month to open AWACS aircraft, Patriot antimissile batteries and chemical and biological units for the defense of Turkey

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