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Is Germany moving toward Trump's stance on Iran?
Deutsche Welle ^ | 09.24.2019 | Christoph Hasselbach

Posted on 09/25/2019 5:30:28 PM PDT by Olog-hai

The German government is generally critical of US President Donald Trump’s politics, especially when it comes to questions of war and peace in the Middle East. Last year, Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Germany, France and the UK, among others, had struggled to secure and wanted to maintain at all costs.

The situation appeared to escalate dangerously after the drone attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia on September 14. Iran-aligned Houthi rebels fighting a Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen have claimed responsibility.

The US immediately blamed Iran, even as the Saudi government initially held back from definitively attributing responsibility. Riyadh now shares Washington’s view. Iran, for its part, has denied any responsibility.

Now, 10 days after the attack, Germany, France and the United Kingdom have joined Washington in laying the blame on Iran. […]

German opposition politicians were divided over the government openly blaming Iran. Whereas Bijan Djir-Sarai, foreign policy expert for the business friendly Free Democrats (FDP), told DW that Iran had was “clearly responsible” for the drone attacks, his Green party counterpart, Omid Nouripour, described the statement as a mistake and pointed to ongoing investigations into the source of the attacks. […]

Germany’s new defense minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer […] said the Bundeswehr would not join an American-led mission under Trump’s hardline campaign of “maximum pressure.” Instead, German armed forces would join “a European mission.” After meeting her US counterpart, Mark Esper, the German defense minister said the US also wanted to avoid giving the opposing side an excuse to escalate the tone. …

(Excerpt) Read more at dw.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Germany; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: angelamerkel; bijandjirsarai; djibouti; eritrea; europe; europeanunion; eussr; freedemocrats; germany; greenparty; hassannasrallah; hezbollah; iran; lebanon; nato; omidnouripour; rop; saudiarabia; sudan; tds; yemen

1 posted on 09/25/2019 5:30:28 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

I was in Germany for 4 years. There are lots of Germans (not all) that I don’t trust. Of course, Merkel is at the top of the list. I don’t trust her, even a little bit.


2 posted on 09/25/2019 5:48:49 PM PDT by Mark17 (Once saved, always saved. I do not care if some do not like that. It will NEVER be my problem)
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To: Olog-hai

Well, Germany and Italy were Iran’s main trading partners.


3 posted on 09/25/2019 6:34:23 PM PDT by familyop ("Welcome to Costco. I love you." - -Costco greeter in the movie, "Idiocracy")
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To: Olog-hai

“after the attack, Germany, France and the United Kingdom have joined Washington in laying the blame on Iran.”

Big backfire on Iran.

Nothing seems to work for them (President Trump won’t take their bait), and they are gushing red ink in the mean time.


4 posted on 09/25/2019 7:35:01 PM PDT by BeauBo
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Thanks Olog-hai

5 posted on 09/25/2019 8:32:55 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Olog-hai

If true - this is great news.


6 posted on 09/25/2019 8:43:24 PM PDT by GOPJ (...They know they cannot win honestly at the ballot box... Freeper EagleUSA)
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To: BeauBo

Every Iranian businessman who makes any real profit....converts it to some other currency and ships it out of the country (usually to Dubai). There it sits. There is tons of Iranian private capital in existence but it’s not in Iran and not being used by the banking system or the Mullahs, or the private citizen. This has been going on for at least a decade. Privately, everyone believes some massive crash will occur eventually.


7 posted on 09/25/2019 8:48:41 PM PDT by pepsionice
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To: Olog-hai

Let’s hope so. Although the krauts are notorious Jew haters, same as Iran. Same, same. Hoping for cognizant, rational people to carry the day. Cheers!


8 posted on 09/25/2019 8:48:54 PM PDT by Kudsman (Im trying to love the tolerant left. They make it very hard to do.)
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To: Olog-hai

It was funny hearing Pres. Trump and the Ukrainian president ripping Merkel and Macron.


9 posted on 09/25/2019 9:06:09 PM PDT by VanShuyten ("...that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals.")
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To: VanShuyten

Priceless.


10 posted on 09/25/2019 9:08:53 PM PDT by Kudsman (Im trying to love the tolerant left. They make it very hard to do.)
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To: pepsionice

“everyone (in Iran) believes some massive crash will occur eventually.”

Me too.

That seems to be the plan.

IMHO, the attack on Saudi Arabia was a sign of high desperation - they had to know that that they were risking their lives in doing it. Maybe that’s an indicator of how close they are getting to the financial abyss.

The oil/gas sanctions are going to bankrupt them quickly, because they produce little else, and depend on imports for so much. Most of their Government was funded by oil and gas as well. They are going to have to run down their foreign reserves, and sell everything of value just to keep the lights on.

I am fairly sure that analysts in the Intelligence Community will have identified some key financial indicators of their ability to go on, and are monitoring them to gauge when they will break.

There should be plans prepared for the next phase (after the financial crash) as well, waiting for those conditions to occur.


11 posted on 09/26/2019 4:05:12 AM PDT by BeauBo
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To: BeauBo

Several months ago, I read an article about the state of Germany’s military. According to the article, the shortage of weapons for the infantry was so severe that it was using wooden sticks in place of rifles in training. I also read that a substantial portion of the Air Force was unable to train since the number of functioning aircraft was minimal. I don’t know anything about the state of the Navy. If what I read is accurate, then what will Germany contribute to the efforts to protect the Straits of Hormuz? Perhaps it will be limited to moral support. For too many years the Germans relied on the USA for protection and, instead of investing in its own defense, spent the money on social welfare programs, all while deriding the USA. Now, as the expression goes “the chickens have come home to roost.”


12 posted on 09/26/2019 8:44:31 AM PDT by JGPhila
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To: Olog-hai

Crank those sanctions up to 11. The mullahs will be hanging from lampposts soon.

And then Trump can turn his head towards the Norks and just stare. They will quickly fold, as well.

Iran has always been the head of the snake


13 posted on 09/26/2019 8:53:16 AM PDT by Spruce
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To: JGPhila

“the state of Germany’s military”

Not only is it underfunded, it is also driven by political correctness, and lacking practical experience. Their rules of engagement when they do deploy (like in Afghanistan) are so restrictive, that they might as well send Boy Scouts or nuns. They just don’t pull triggers on real targets.

The population of Germany itself is one of the least supportive of their military, even within Europe. One survey indicated that only 18% of military age German men would be willing to fight for their country.


14 posted on 09/26/2019 9:18:41 AM PDT by BeauBo
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To: Olog-hai

Short answer: Nein.


15 posted on 09/26/2019 9:19:50 AM PDT by mewzilla (Break out the mustard seeds.)
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To: Olog-hai

Who cares?


16 posted on 09/27/2019 5:41:39 AM PDT by Little Ray (Freedom Before Security!)
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