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                               AP  o  Reuters

   European Officials Warn U.S. Not to Attack Iraq
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   February 16, 2002 10:55 am EST

   BERLIN (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and Spanish
   Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar have highlighted Europe's concern that
   the United States may attack Iraq in its "war on terror" and urged it
   not to act unilaterally.

   "No one has shown me any evidence yet that the terror of Osama bin
   Laden has anything to do with the regime in Iraq," Fischer told Der
   Spiegel magazine, referring to the Saudi-born Islamic extremist blamed
   for the September attacks on U.S. cities.

   The international coalition against terror was "no carte blanche for
   an invasion of any country, especially not unilaterally," Fischer told
   the magazine according to the advance text of an interview due to be
   published on Monday.

   Speculation has mounted that U.S. military action against Iraq was
   imminent after Bush described Iraq, Iran and North Korea last month as
   forming an "axis of evil" sponsoring terror.

   Aznar, who holds the European Union's rotating presidency, told Der
   Spiegel that the international coalition must not be allowed to split.

   "But striking out at so-called rogue states believed to be dangerous
   is not the same as fighting terrorism."

   Aznar added: "We shall have to discuss the new vision of American
   foreign policy. We are experiencing a historic moment, in which
   Europeans and North Americans must redefine their alliance."

   The comments come amid an intensifying war of words between Washington
   and Brussels about how best to fight militants.

   EU external affairs chief Chris Patten warned the United States on
   Friday to curb its unilateralist "instinct," and said it was vital
   that America, buoyed by its military victory in Afghanistan, did not
   strike off on its own.

   "NO PLANS" FOR EARLY STRIKE

   Secretary of State Colin Powell, seen as the main check on Washington
   hawks, repeated on Thursday his earlier assurances that there were no
   plans for early strikes against Baghdad.

   But neither did he rule them out.

   He also dismissed European critics of the Bush comments, saying Europe
   should understand by now that Bush spoke "with determination, with
   prudence and with patience."

   Aznar told Der Spiegel that the EU would have to increase its military
   capabilities and find a common security plan to have a say in global
   politics.

   "Today Europe doesn't even have the military capacity to solve large
   military problems on its own territory."

   Without the Americans, former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic would
   not be standing trial for war crimes in the Hague tribunal, Aznar
   said.

   Separately, the head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence service,
   August Hanning, also said he saw no link between Iraq and bin Laden.

   He said his service could not agree with the claim that Iran, Iraq and
   North Korea were all sponsoring terrorism.

   "The aspect of sponsoring international terrorism does not at present
   apply at all to North Korea. North Korea is worrying us from the point
   of exporting missile technology," Hanning said.

   Iran had seen a reorientation in recent years, Hanning said. "With a
   state as strategically important as Iran I see no alternative to
   encouraging those forces of reform that can push the country forward
   from our point of view."

   Articles From Reuters