Ankara has run out of negotiating time in its bid to extract concessions in return for allowing U.S. troops to operate on the Turkish side of the border with Iraq, the White House warned Wednesday.
With a newly reached deal for NATO to defend Turkey and slow diplomatic progress toward a second UN Security Council resolution, Washington appears to have stepped up efforts to clear the way for a possible invasion of Iraq.
Leaked military plans suggest a two-pronged invasion consisting of an amphibious assault from the Persian Gulf and an overland thrust from Turkey into northern Iraq. In the face of widespread public opposition, the Islamic-leaning Turkish government has been balking and insists that Washington pony up billions in economic assistance in return for access.
U.S. presidential spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters Wednesday that "there's not a lot of time left" for discussion with the Turks, who have demanded significantly more than the $26-billion (U.S.) in grants and loan guarantees Washington has put on the table.
Soldiers from the Army's 2nd Battalion 18th Field Artillery load up M-88 Recovery Vehicles onto a train at the new depot facility at Fort Sill, Okla. (Paul Hellstern/AP)
Related Articles
Asked whether Washington had presented its final offer, Mr. Fleischer said that that was "a pretty good way" to describe the situation.
At the United Nations, meanwhile, Washington is said to working on the wording of a resolution that calls specifically for military action against Iraq, but it doubts the need for and practicality of such a resolution. A toughly worded resolution is unlikely to gain the unanimous support enjoyed by the the first resolution, which according to some interpretations already allows the use of force against Iraq.
Dozens of countries spoke out Tuesday against the march to war, using an open session at the United Nations to call for more time for the weapons inspection regime currently operating in Iraq. Only Australia and Japan supported calls for a second Security Council resolution.
The British government, fighting to reverse public opinion, is reported to be pushing hard for a new resolution.
At his White House briefing, Mr. Fleischer said U.S. President George W. Bush is committed to "moving forward" on a resolution but that he would not speculate on the timing.
Also Wednesday, the British government urged its citizens to leave Iraq immediately because of the risk of terrorist attack and hostage-taking.
"If you are considering going to Iraq, you should be aware that British nationals were used as hostages during the 1990 to 1991 crisis by the Iraqi regime, being held where their safety was most at risk."
Ottawa maintains its warning that Canadians do not travel to Iraq and that they should leave if already there.
"Canadians who remain in Iraq should maintain a high level of vigilance and monitor local developments and news broadcasts carefully," warns a bulletin on the Web site of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
