And it would demonstrate to Americans that such a force would not be part of some effort to weaken NATO and counterbalance the United States.

Mr. Rumsfeld has said that the European deployment force makes him nervous because he sees it as possibly weakening NATO.

Mr. Shultz, saying the decision would weaken NATO, declined to say what action the United States would take if the decision is not reversed.

Britain - though not alone in this case - fought strongly to insure that this would not weaken NATO, to which 11 of the 12 also belong.

In the past, the United States has discouraged discussion of a security dimension for the community for fear that this could weaken NATO.

What we are getting is duplication outside NATO, to weaken NATO.

He also worries that any EC role in defence could weaken NATO.

Admitting former Warsaw Pact countries would weaken NATO in other ways.

But Germany as well as Britain and others are equally determined not to weaken NATO, which has long given Washington a voice in European affairs.

"Weaken NATO, and you weaken Europe, which weakens America."