November 28, 2002	Thursday	Ramazan 22, 1423

BERLIN, Nov 27: Germany put new pressure on its strained relations with the United States on Wednesday by refusing some US requests for support in any Iraq war.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, whose refusal to back any US attack on Iraq has angered President George W. Bush, ruled out assistance beyond allowing American troops to use Germany as a staging post and providing Israel with defensive missiles.

He told a news conference the United States, which is asking some 50 nations to help in a possible war, had given Germany a list of specific requests, including opening its air space.

It had also asked Berlin to provide defence systems against chemical, biological and nuclear attack as well as military police, missile defence systems and financial and material help for possible reconstruction after an Iraq war, he said.

But Schroeder told reporters it remained “clear as glass” that Germany would stay out of a conflict.

Berlin continued to assume there would be no war and that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein would comply with a UN resolution offering him a last chance to give up weapons of mass destruction, Schroeder said.

Germany would grant flyover and transit rights for troops from the United States and other NATO countries and would accede to a request from Israel for US-built Patriot missiles, designed to intercept incoming missiles, Schroeder said.

He also said Germany would agree to provide Israel with some of its Fuchs armoured vehicles, which are equipped to detect chemical, biological and nuclear contamination. The Israeli government made a request for vehicles two days ago, he said.

But he ruled out military help going beyond that.

“We do not intend to provide further resources beyond what I have said, and definitely no more personnel,” Schroeder said.—Reuters