Posted on 09/20/2002 3:36:07 PM PDT by HAL9000
WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The White House on Friday reacted coolly to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's apology for the offense caused by a report that his justice minister had compared President George W. Bush's methods to Hitler's."We received a letter," said a spokesman, declining further comment.
The election-eve report in a regional daily angered a U.S. administration already upset about the center-left chancellor's outspoken -- and highly popular -- opposition to a possible U.S.-led war in Iraq.
Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin tried to calm the transatlantic dispute on Friday by denying the report she had told a preelection gathering that, by threatening to attack Iraq, Bush wanted to distract from his domestic political problems, as Adolf Hitler had.
Schroeder wrote to Bush, saying: "I want to let you know how much I regret the fact that alleged comments by the German justice minister have given an impression that has offended you."
"Let me assure you that there is no place at my cabinet table for anyone who makes a connection between the American president and such a criminal," Schroeder said, according to a German text provided by his office.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer called the remarks "outrageous and inexplicable" and Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to complain.
I was thinking the same thing....
Whites are a "conquered race?"
Thank you for your email.
In a personal letter to US President George W. Bush, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said today that he very much regretted that purported remarks by the German Minister of Justice created an impression that hurt the President’s feelings. "Let me assure you that there is no room in my cabinet for anyone who speaks of the President of the United States of America and a criminal in the same breath" the Chancellor wrote.
"The Spokesman of the White House rightly pointed to the close and special ties between the German and the American people." Justice Minister Herta Däubler-Gmelin has called the connection between her and an alleged comparison of Bush and Nazi officials, as reported in a regional newspaper in Germany, erroneous and slanderous. Minister Däubler-Gmelin telephoned the US Ambassador to Germany on September 20 to explain the incident. Speaking to the press on the same day, Minister Däubler-Gmelin said that she regretted that the highly emotional press coverage of the matter was beginning to cast a shadow on the good German-American relationship.
Sincerely,
German Embassy / Press Office
NUTS!
If this situation bothers you, go to the website of the German Embassy in Washington , hit the "contact" button the top of the page, and type out a note to tell them how you feel.
I did, and it was good blowing off some steam at another weak former "friend"....
Its the diplomatic equivalent of "nuts".
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