U.S. WANTS MIDEAST NATIONS IN NATO PROGRAM

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States has been lobbying allies to includeMiddle East countries in a key NATO program. U.S. officials said the Bush administration has approved a proposal forthe inclusion of up to six Middle East states in the Partnership for Peaceprogram. Created in 1994, PfP has been used to increase NATO's ties tonon-Western allies and bring them into the alliance.