NATO lacks contingency plans to defend all its newer members from attack, a fact that suddenly became an burning issue for the Baltics and eastern European members after Russia's military intervention in Georgia in August.

"This has sort of become politicized -- should you do con plans (contingency plans) or should you not do con plans, because of the message that it sends?" a senior defense official said.

The issue is expected to come up this week at a meeting in Budapest of NATO defense ministers, including US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the officials said in a briefing on Gates's trip.

General John Craddock, the supreme allied commander Europe (SACEUR), feels "that it's a very natural thing to do, contingency planning, because that's something that a military alliance should be in the regular business of doing," the official said.

Moreover, Article Five of NATO's charter guarantees that the alliance will come to the defense of any member who is attacked.

Craddock has been in discussion with UN Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer over whether he can proceed on his own or needs the backing of NATO's political decision making body, the North Atlantic Council.

The general is considering conducting a risk assessment first, followed by contingency planning, the official said.

The official said Craddock did not need permission to do contingency planning but had gone to Scheffer "just to get a sort of signal pulse on that."

"I think there's a general consensus that it's a very natural thing to do. But (with) all of the political pieces -- this becomes politicized very quickly."

Gates urged allies last month after an informal meeting in London to avoid provoking Russia but to pursue planning and exercises to reassure Baltic and East European allies worried about Moscow's intentions.

Scheffer said after the meeting that the alliance may step up planning and training for collective defense "here and there."

But he said no one should be "surprised or alarmed" by it.

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