The United States said Friday it was confident Germany would eventually contribute troops under the NATO banner in Iraq."I think Germany -- they may well end up there," Deputy US Secretary of State Richard Armitage said.
"I think they're kind of waiting and seeing," he said on National Public Radio when asked whether other large NATO members, including Germany, were with France in opposing a NATO presence in Iraq.
"Other large NATO countries, like Britain and others, are with us," Armitage said. "So we'll resolve these things."
He said a key factor was that NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer "seems to be quite keen on having a NATO role and I think that's a good basis on which to move forward."
During a NATO summit in Istanbul last week, the Western alliance decided to assist Iraq in organizing its security forces.
But after having opposed last year's US-led war to oust Saddam Hussein, France and Germany refused to let their soldiers train Iraqis on Iraqi territory. Spain too is reportedly keeping out.
French President Jacques Chirac made clear that he would be opposed to NATO's presence in Iraq, pointing out that it would amount to interference that will not be acceptable to Iraqis.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had said Berlin was willing to train Iraqi soldiers in Germany but again ruled out sending German troops to the war-ravaged country.
Sixteen of the 26 NATO countries already have troops in Iraq as part of the US-led coalition force.
Asked how important it was to the United States that there be a formal, obvious NATO role in Iraq, Armitage said it would be "a very good indicator to the Iraqis and to all in the area that NATO is betting on the fact that Iraq will be successful in this drive for democracy.
"So, in that regard, it'd be quite important," he said.
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