Posted on 07/21/2006 12:35:13 PM PDT by wolf78
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday forcefully rejected a letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seeking cooperation with Germany, saying it did not even deserve an answer.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki delivered the letter to the German embassy in Tehran earlier this week. A German government official who saw the letter told Reuters it criticised Israel and said Germany and Iran should cooperate in dealing with Zionism and solving the Palestinian problem.
"He's repeating the old thinking, which is totally unacceptable to us," Merkel told ZDF state television.
"Israel's right to exist is a key part of our state policy and he calls this into question time and again; and at the same time our offer -- an offer which really gives the Iranian people hope for the future -- is not mentioned once," she added.
"That's not in order and thus does not need to be answered."
Germany and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council offered Iran a package of incentives in June to end Tehran's stand-off with the West over its nuclear programme.
Government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said earlier on Friday the letter did not mention Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West, or the current fighting in Lebanon and Israel.
Berlin's relations with Ahmadinejad have been soured by his repeated denial of the Holocaust, the Nazi massacre of 6 million Jews, and his call for Israel to be wiped off the map.
(Excerpt) Read more at today.reuters.com ...
Not a nut, a nazi.
This letter should be published far and wide to show them for what they are. Genocidal nazis.
"We are not that stupid! It's the oil companies that keep us dependant."
Do you have your tin foil hat on?
If there were a viable alternative, the oil compaines couldn't keep it from market. While I believe the oil companies do their best to discourage use of alternatives, (who wouldn't protect their business?), I think that a GOOD alternative would be impossible to hold back.
WHAT??? Former Chancellor Kohl was awarded with the US Medal of Freedom, he was a true friend of the US and is still a friend of George Bush (41).
You surely meant Schröder!
LOL. Idiot post by me.. Yes, Schroeder....
send another one to the sleazy poofter Zapatero - he's *always* receptive...
Okay, one more time: When Hitler and his ministers were talking about "solving the Jewish problem", we all now know they were talking about killing off all the Jews. Therefore, "solving the Palestinian problem" was probably a singularly unfortunate choice of words on Mahmoud's part.
Guten Tag, Michael, und danke schon fur das Korrektur. (My German is a bit rusty....)
No problem. I´m always in defense of my fellow CDU-members... at least against unjust criticism. ;)
Schönes Wochenende!
I would narrow that down to duly "elected" leaders, within a democracy at least. Dubya did not judge the entire population of Iraq just because an unelected murderous dictator "led" that Country.
Bush has made friends in the world, some being the people of Germany..who saw what was right and voted!
But of course many Germans still think that Bush is the main obstacle to peace in the world...
"But the Saudi princes are willing to sell their oil while funding terrorism at the same time. And we are stupid enough to let them get away with it."
I agree 100%. Read Thomas Friedman's (I know, he is a Slimes columist, but he is one of their token.... non liberals) column from a week or two ago, where he was bemoaning GM's "free gas for one year" offer if you buy an SUV. He summed it up by saying we are financing both sides of the WOT.
But liberals in this country are generally against: drilling in Alaska, windfarms, nuclear power, coal, etc. In fact, some of those windbags (some republicans too, to be fair) were calling for reduction in gasoline taxes to offset some of the recent price runups, which is the absolute height of hypocrisy, especially since they generally use the global warming theory to bash Bush.
As with the WOT, all the Dems can give us is whining, complaining, and Bush bashing. Nothing more.
You´re right as far as the judgment on nations is concerned.
Our election wasn´t decided because of "Dubya", if he had been an issue, Merkel wouldn´t be Chancellor, to be honest. We both know that your President is highly unpopular in Europe, the press never liked him. That´s specifically what makes Merkel´s attitude so outstanding - in a climate of almost-hatred against Pres. Bush, she openly shows her support for him (and has done so back in 2003!). Unlike her predecessor, she says what she thinks and she does what she says - in short: Merkel is reliable.
Nice weekend to you too.
I am hoping that relations between USA and Germany continue to improve. A few years back, I wasn't even willing to return to Germany to visit Bad Buchau, where I was born. Now I would, but I know I would have to endure the "bloder Amerikaner" comments. I can curse back in Deutsch, though: Ich bin einen Schwab. Saumesig!
Seems to me these are "accept or die" letters.
Me thinks Germany is now in the Iranian nuclear crosshairs.
...or am I just paranoid?
You're not recognized as a viable entity by a girl !!
I don´t think that you´d have to fear insults because of your nationality, Germans don´t blame individuals for the politics of their governments. It´s not unusual that Americans visit Germany - if we´d insult all of them, they´d hardly come back. I got the impression - especially during the FIFA World Cup Soccer 2006 - that we´re a hospitable country.
"many Germans still think that Bush is the main obstacle to peace in the world..."
As do the rats in this country. We all have our dumba$$es!
LLS
When it comes to irrational anti-Americanism, Germans will have to try a lot harder if they want to be in the same league with American journalists, academics, and Democrat leadership, it would hard to imagine anyone more irrationally unhinged than some of our leftists here.
Its not a German thing, its a leftist thing, I think.
You are right; people judge a country by the leaders it elects to a great degree, and the way they are treated on a personal level by those people.
I've had the pleasure of working with a number of Germans over the years both here and abroad, and have found them to be first rate professionally, and have been always well treated on a personal level.
But Schroeder? How could you? (And please don't throw Clinton or Gore in our faces, please, I'm still trying to forget).
Now, with Merkel, all is forgiven. Hope you'll forgive the awful things I thought about you guys every time I saw whats-his-name in the press.
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