Warsaw, Poland ? Other NATO nations will join in if President Bush opts for war with Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Wednesday after three days of meetings with allied defense ministers.

“You can be certain that if and when the president decides to do something, that there’ll be other nations that will be participants,” Rumsfeld told reporters.

The secretary’s comment apparently is meant to counter critics who say the United States is planning unilateral action.

Rumsfeld spoke after NATO defense ministers finished meetings that included a closed CIA briefing on Iraq’s quest for biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin also described alleged ties between Iraq and the al-Qaida terrorist network.

“Everyone is on notice,” Rumsfeld said. “All now have a clear understanding of the threats that are posed.”