Munich, Germany, Feb 12, SPA -- U.S. Defense Secretary DonaldRumsfeld called Saturday for the United States and Europeancountries to put differences over the Iraq war aside andwork together in the war on terrorism Speaking at a conference of the world's top defenseofficials including U.N. chief Kofi Annan, NATOSecretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and German DefenseMinister Peter Struck, Rumsfeld said the fight againstterrorism is not one that the United States could take onalone. "By now it must be clear that one nation cannot defeatthe extremists alone..." Rumsfeld said. "It will take thecooperation of many nations to stop the proliferation ofdangerous weapons ... and it surely takes a community ofnations to gather intelligence about extremist networks, tobreak up financial support lines, or to apprehend suspectedterrorists." "While there have been differences over Iraq, such issuesamong longtime friends are not new," Rumsfeld said. "Butwe have always been able to resolve the toughest issues." Struck opened the conference suggesting a move away fromNATO as a vehicle for trans-Atlantic dialogue, proposingmore direct coordination between the European Union and theUnited States. Reading a speech that was to have been given by GermanChancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who canceled his appearanceat the last minute after falling ill with the flu, Strucksaid NATO risked becoming outdated. NATO "is no longer the primary venue where trans-Atlanticpartners discuss and coordinate strategies," Struck said. Struck said the United States should update itsrelationship with the EU "which in its current form doesjustice neither to the Union's growing importance nor tothe new demands on trans-Atlantic cooperation." Struck said EU and U.S. governments should establish ahigh-ranking commission to study the issue and proposesolutions. "This panel should submit a report to the heads of stateand government of NATO and the European Union by thebeginning of 2006 on the basis of its analysis." Rumsfeld flew in from a surprise visit to Iraq Friday tothe prestigious weekend gathering, which defense expertsand policy-makers traditionally use for frank exchanges inan informal atmosphere. German President Horst Koehler opened the conference Friday evening by underlining the link between security anddevelopment, urging rich countries to boost developmentaid. "Without security there can be no economic development,"he told delegates at a private dinner, according to a textreleased by his office. "But experience also shows thatsustained poverty among wide swathes of the population canthreaten a country's stability."--SPA1216 Local Time 0916 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/238824