Washington, Mar 31: US Secretary of State Colin Powell will travel to Belgium and Turkey today in a hastily-arranged trip to discuss the war against Iraq with Nato and Turkish officials, state department officials said today. Powell, who has come under some criticism for not traveling more in the run-up to the war, is to leave Washington early tomorrow and return on Thursday, said the officials on condition of anonymity. “This is going to be a very quick trip,” one official said.
It was not immediately clear whether he would visit Brussels or Ankara first. At Nato headquarters in the Belgian capital, Powell is expected to focus on the alliance's efforts to assist in the conflict, primarily with the defence of Turkey, which proved to be a major source of division last month. In Ankara, Powell will continue to hammer home Washington's opposition to Turkish troops entering northern Iraq as well as try to iron out festering differences over the deployment of US soldiers.
Bureau Report