NATO Ready to Support Mideast Peace

[Rose Siding]

MUNICH, Germany -- NATO should be ready to play a major role in supporting any peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, if the two sides ask for its help, the alliance's top diplomat said Saturday.

Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told an international security conference he planned to go to Israel next week, the first such visit by a NATO secretary general.

"We should not shy away from starting to think about a potential role for NATO in supporting a Middle East peace agreement," de Hoop Scheffer said. "If the ball comes to NATO, this alliance must be prepared to respond positively and play its full part."

Also, German Defense Minister Peter Struck told the conference his country was ready to take part in any NATO peacekeeping mission in the region.

With the renewal of peace hopes in the Middle East, de Hoop Scheffer has said repeatedly in recent weeks that NATO should not exclude a possible peacekeeping role. In Munich, he underlined NATO's long peacekeeping experience and its ability to bring together the United States -- Israel's close ally -- and Europeans, who are perceived as closer to Palestinians.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-germany-nato-mideast,0,4926083.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[Redstone]

1. "NATO Ready to Support Mideast Peace"

So, this headline means they were opposed to Mideast Peace until now?

Redstone

[papau]

2. a question of troops that are not UN n/t

:-)

[yinkaafrica]

3. sharon will never allow this: it could actually result in a just peace!

There is a growing movement of Israelis working for Peace in Israel.
An anti-sharon coalition.
Sadly, as with the peace movement in the US, they have little or no impact on Israel's horrible policies.