Struck told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that if the United Nations were to approve such a mission and NATO were asked by the US-led occupying powers for assistance, Germany would "not have a reason to oppose an engagement of the alliance in Iraq".

"If the appropriate NATO resolutions were adopted, it could mean that we (Germany) would be asked to participate. Then it would be up to the German government to give an answer. But this is a theoretical question," Struck said.

"In Afghanistan, not all the NATO member countries are represented and it would not necessarily have to be the case in Iraq," he said.

Germany fiercely opposed the US-led war to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and has been circumspect on informal US requests for assistance in the country, in which US troops are under daily attack and the reconstruction effort is only slowly moving forward.

NATO is to take over command of the international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan from Germany and the Netherlands on Monday in the first major operation outside its traditional European theater in its 54-year-history.

Struck embarked Sunday on a trip to Afghanistan where he will oversee the handover.

WAR.WIRE