GOOD NEWS FOR AN ARMY STRETCHED THIN

A key to stabilizing Iraq and defeating the insurgency is a commitment by top U.S. allies, beyond the current military coalition, to offer help in strengthening security. Yesterday, NATO declared its willingness to do just that, a step whose importance cannot be overstated.

NATO is prepared to take a stabilization role in postwar Iraq if two key conditions are met: NATO wants a formal invitation from an autonomous Iraqi government and the approval of the UN Security Council...

A Security Council vote would give an international imprimatur to NATO's involvement, taking away the taint of U.S. control over postwar security. It's good politics, anyway, since France said its approval within NATO would hinge on adoption of a United Nations resolution. Germany, which opposed the Iraq war along with France, said it would not block the NATO mission.

But please note that France insists on making NATO the lapdog of the UN.

They tried that a year ago, at which time NATO convened a meeting of military members only (France dropped its military membership some time ago) and merely walked around France.

It appears France hasn't learned.