European trio try to smooth differences over Iraq

By MARK TREVELYAN

BERLIN - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has renewed calls for a stronger United Nations role in Iraq as Germany and France kick off a fence-mending summit with Britain.

Schroeder opened talks on Saturday with French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in a bid to smooth differences over Iraq and help pave the way for a UN resolution to help stabilise and rebuild the country.

"The United Nations should quickly now take over a stronger role in Iraq," Schroeder said in an interview with the Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper.

Blair is the closest ally of the United States, which wants a new UN Security Council resolution to help share out the huge financial and security burden of rebuilding post-war Iraq.

France and Germany, which strongly opposed the US-led war, both seek a greater UN political role and a faster transfer of sovereignty from US administration to the Iraqi people.

Schroeder, sounding a conciliatory note, told Ruhr Nachrichten that Germany would play its part in bringing stability and democracy in Iraq.

"Germany is ready to take part in reconstruction projects in Iraq, if the security of our people is guaranteed and the financing is in place. I have already offered for Germany to train Iraqi policemen and soldiers," he said.

Schroeder and Chirac will hold separate meetings with Bush at the United Nations next week. A fresh UN mandate could not only help to mend the rift between Washington, Berlin and Paris, but could also pave the way for countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey to contribute troops.

Washington badly needs such help as its 130,000 troops in Iraq suffer almost daily casualties from guerrilla attacks. President George W. Bush last week sent Congress a US$87 billion plan to fund military operations and reconstruction efforts.

Bush and Blair sent their troops to invade Iraq in March, accusing President Saddam Hussein of developing weapons of mass destruction.

France and Germany opposed the war, arguing UN inspectors should have been allowed more time to scour Iraq for evidence of the alleged weapons programmes.

Germany said this week that Saturday's talks were aimed at agreeing common positions on Iraq, but officials have since sought to dampen expectations.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told German newspaper Die Welt he was "sure we will reach a UN resolution very soon". Saturday's meeting could give an important boost to EU foreign policy, he said.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq