EU calls for further action in Iraq

BRUSSELS, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy hinted that European nations could do more to provide assistance to the U.S.-led mission in Iraq.

A draft EU document obtained by Financial Times Deutschland said France, which is serving its six-month EU presidential term, said Europe should "without delay" ramp up its efforts in Iraq.

"Our common goal is to contribute to Iraq's success," the working paper said. "The EU is therefore ready to engage without delay in this country."

The EU proposal, however, is geared toward training issues as several countries, including England, are preparing to pull their combat troops out of the country by 2009.

The measure may be a boon to the administration of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, who has entertained broader efforts in the war in Afghanistan as military leaders posit a possible increase in U.S. forces there.

Canadian and British forces, meanwhile, have complained the international effort in Afghanistan is hampered by a lack of political will on the military front, notably from a German mandate forbidding combat operations in the country.