The United States has today formally asked NATO for assistance and support in the event of an attack on Iraq.
A NATO official said Washington had tabled a proposal for sixforms of support, none of which would require direct military involvement in an attack on Iraq.
He declined to give details but other NATO sources said they included military measures to protect NATO member Turkey, a likely base for US-led air strikes on Iraq, from Iraqi missile or air attack.
Other measures requested included access to the allies' airspace, ports and military bases as well as NATO's early warning aircraft and Patriot air defence missiles.
The NATO official said consultations were at an early stage and no decision had been taken.
"There was a general discussion at the NAC [North Atlantic Council - the alliance's executive body] today which was non-specific and we will return to it," he said.
NATO was also asked if it could play a role in a post-conflict peacekeeping or humanitarian operation in Iraq, the official said.
The US proposal follows a visit to NATO in December by US Deputy Defence Secretary Mr Paul Wolfowitz.
US Defence Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld said this evening that no decision to use force against Iraq had been made.
"But it does take time to plan, and just as we're planning with individual countries, it seemed appropriate, to the extent NATO wished to, to begin that planning process," he told a Pentagon press conference.
He hesitated as to whether the support was non-combat in nature, noting that some allies already have indicated that they were prepared to participate in combat operations.
AFP &