German defense minister Peter Struck said Monday that US military policy on Iraq was "harmful" for the NATO alliance and that NATO should not be "an assistant for Washington."

He said at a security conference held in Berlin that multilateral approach should first be considered when dealing with international problems.

"This would be the best option for the United States," he noted.

Even the massive US military was not in the position to do the rebuilding work in postwar Iraq and Afghanistan, he added.

Struck also warned that the NATO risks the danger of being degraded to be a mere "military toolbox" for Washington.

The United States measure the value of Europe and Germany merely by how much help was given to missions decided by it, he added.

"NATO is not an assistant for helping implement decisions made in Washington," said Struck.

Germany firmly opposed the US-led war in Iraq and bilateral relations were strongly strained due to their conflicting opinions on the war.

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2003)