(31 Jan 2004) NB: no slate at start of story
1. Wide shot, Bush and de Hoop Scheffer in Oval Office
2. Cutaway, press
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) US President George W. Bush
"The Secretary General and I have had a good discussion about NATO, my administration's commitment to a strong and vibrant NATO, our mutual desire to make the world more peaceful through freedom. I appreciate your willingness to discuss important theaters like Afghanistan and Iraq."
4. Cutaway, press
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
"And that's why we are in Afghanistan fighting terrorism. And NATO is going to take a larger role in Afghanistan. That's what we discussed. We have, of course, touched upon Iraq, the political developments in Iraq, the upcoming 1st of May for the transfer of sovereignty in Iraq, and a possible greater NATO role after that."
6. Wide shot, Bush and de Hoop Scheffer
7. De Hoop Scheffer walks out of White House towards press
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
"Well you know that already very many NATO allies are present in Iraq at the moment because NATO is supporting the multinational division in central Iraq, so the forces are there. But let's take things step by step as I've said many times before, see how the political developments proceed. The president has told me, and Secretary of State Powell and Rumsfeld, as well, that the 1st of July is still the date that they're aiming for. NATO is there, so I think that when that request of a sovereign Iraqi government would come, NATO will be ready."
9. Wide shot, de Hoop Scheffer
STORYLINE:
NATO's new secretary general told President Bush on Friday the alliance would probably agree to military involvement in Iraq if requested by a sovereign Iraqi government.
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the former Dutch foreign minister who took over NATO's top job at the end of last year, has been in Washington since Thursday meeting with Bush administration officials.
On Friday, he met with President Bush at the White House for the first time.
Their talks focused on plans for NATO to expand its peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan and a US proposal that the alliance send troops to Iraq.
Divisions over the war in Iraq pushed NATO in deep crisis early last year.
But the Bush administration has been pushing the alliance, which now plays a support role in Iraq, to consider a direct military role there.
In the most likely scenario, the alliance would take over from Poland command of the 9,500-strong multinational division in central Iraq.
Recognising the caution of members such as France and Germany, de Hoop Scheffer made clear that NATO involvement would be contingent on control being handed over to the Iraqis in a timely manner, and on the request coming from the Iraqis themselves.
The US-led coalition in Iraq is due to transfer sovereignty to an Iraqi provisional government by July 1.
Around that time, Bush is to join NATO allies for talks in Istanbul, Turkey, where key decisions on the alliance's next steps could be made.
De Hoop Scheffer also expressed confidence that he'll be able to persuade allied governments to give him the troops to make good on a pledge to the United Nations to expand NATO's peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan outside of the capital of Kabul into several provincial cities.
The 5,700-member Kabul deployment was the first time NATO sent allied troops beyond Europe or North America as it tried to help with efforts after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
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