Nato heals split to show united front on Saddam

Prague Summit: Military pact – enlarged by seven states – launches 20,000-strong rapid reaction force to spearhead anti-terror drive

Nato leaders papered over their divisions regarding the prospect of war against Iraq yesterday and issued a joint declaration of support for the United Nation's efforts to disarm Saddam Hussein.

In a carefully constructed communiqué, the 19 allies pledged their "commitment to take effective action" to back the UN, warning of serious consequences if Iraq continued to violate its obligations.

The declaration, made at a summit in Prague, was watered down by members wary of giving the US a blank cheque, although British officials said they were satisfied with the text. Tony Blair is due to meet the chief UN weapons inspector, Hans Blix, in London today.

President George Bush has asked 50 nations, including the UK, to contribute to a possible military campaign against Iraq, and is putting pressure on its allies to offer support.

After a meeting with Mr Bush, the French President, Jacques Chirac, said: "There is no alternative for Iraq except full co-operation with the UN." But officials said France must have the "freedom to decide" what action should be taken if there is a breach by Iraq.

France also disputes American arguments that war would be justified if Iraqi denied it possessed weapons of mass destruction in an arms inventory demanded by the UN by an 8 December deadline. Germany reiterated that it would not take part in an attack.

But, with the UN inspection mission to Iraq in its early stages, Nato leaders avoided conflict at their set-piece meeting yesterday.

Meanwhile, they agreed to launch a 20,000-strong reaction force designed to combat terrorist threats anywhere in the world, as the cornerstone of a modernisation drive. The decision marks a huge departure for an alliance conceived as a defensive organisation rooted in the northern Atlantic area.

Nato has been struggling to justify its existence since it was sidelined by the US in its response to 11 September, and the Nato Reaction Force is central to efforts to transform itself.

The force, whose remit raises the prospect of Nato becoming involved in pre-emptive military action, is designed to tackle three potential types of situations. Nato diplomats say it could be sent in as a stand-alone force after an immediate crisis, or it might be deployed as a show of force to deter military aggression. Finally, it might be used as to make an initial entry into a military theatre, before the arrival of a large-scale force.

The objective was to create "a technologically advanced, flexible, deployable, interoperable and sustained force including land, sea, and air elements ready to move quickly to wherever needed". The unit, expected to befully operational by 2006, will be commanded from Nato's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, its military planning facility at Mons in Belgium. But with Nato operating on the understanding of unanimity, doubt remains as to how easy it will be to reach the consensus needed to launch missions.

Mr Chirac was among several leaders who said the unit must not conflict with the EU's plans to set up a larger military force designed for peace-keeping an crisis intervention.

Europe's military plans are stalled because Turkey – an alliance member and EU hopeful – is blocking a deal guaranteeing the EU access to Nato's planning capabilities. Yesterday, Ankara took its allies by surprise by suggesting a joint Nato-EU military operation next year.

The alliance's European members also pledged to beef up their outdated militaries with more hi-tech equipment, including smart bombs, anti-germ warfare gear and large transport planes.