Munich Conference Opens With Sharp Differences Over Iraq (RUMSFELD ALERT)

Deutsche Welle ^ | February 8, 2003 | Deutsche Welle

[MadIvan]

Both U.S. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and German Foreign Minister Fischer delivered strongly-worded speeches in which they staked out their positions and crossed verbal swords over the pressing issue of Iraq in Munich.

Time's running out --U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

The annual high-level security conference taking place over the weekend in Munich was witness to some strong speeches and verbal sparring on Saturday that reflected the transatlantic tension brewing between Germany and America in the past weeks.

At the closely guarded conference attended by more than 250 top-level military officials and politicians from 40 countries, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that Washington still hoped war against Iraq would not be necessary, but that the world was serious about disarming Baghdad.

Rumsfeld: "No one wants war"

"No one wants war. War is never a first or an easy choice. But the risks of war need to be balanced against the risks of doing nothing while Iraq pursues weapons of mass destruction," Rumsfeld told the gathering. He said that it was difficult to understand how anyone could still doubt Iraq’s intentions after U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell’s report to the U.N. Security Council a few days ago.

In Saturday’s speech Rumsfeld urged the international community to support the military pressure on Saddam Hussein to avoid a war.

"If the international community once again shows a lack of decisiveness, then there’s no chance that Saddam Hussein will voluntarily disarm or flee and thus no chance for a peaceful outcome," he said.

Rumsfeld said that Iraq had been given years to disarm and now the world would know within "days or weeks" whether it was cooperating with U.N. inspectors.

"He (Saddam) has not been contained, he is successfully getting into that country darn near everything he wants," he said.

German minister sticks to his guns

For his part German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said on Saturday that he remained unconvinced of the case for a war against Iraq. He rejected suggestions that Europe was divided on the issue, saying public opinion was firmly against war.

"I am not convinced. That is my problem. I cannot go the public and say that these are the reasons because I won’t believe in them," Fischer said.

The German Foreign Minister instead pleaded in his speech that the U.N. weapons inspectors should continue their work and be given more time to carry out inspections. Fischer turned down Rumsfeld’s demand for a quick decision. "We shouldn’t just follow the logic of a military attack," he said.

The minister renewed his criticism of the U.S. stance of forcing Iraq to disarm through war if necessary. He said the international community was not yet finished with its responsibilities in Afghanistan and the weeding out of the extremist Al Qaeda.

"That’s the first critical question that I ask is why is this being prioritized now? To this day I can't see why. Saddam Hussein is a terrible dictator. But we have known that for a long time," he said. Fischer also reiterated the high risks that a war in Iraq could mean for stability in the Middle East and the war against terror.

Rumsfeld: NATO's dithering "inexcusable"

The U.S. Defense Secretary however reserved harsher criticism for NATO’s failure to take a decision on giving military aid to Turkey in the event of a war against Iraq. He branded as "inexcusable" the move by Germany, France and Belgium to stall NATO’s decision on the issue with the argument that providing military support to Turkey, which shares a border with Iraq, could undermine diplomatic efforts to avert a conflict.

On Thursday NATO Secretary-General George Robertson gave the allies until Monday to object to the measures, which include deploying Patriot missiles and surveillance planes to Turkey.

"I can’t imagine doing that, it is beyond my comprehension... Turkey is an ally, the North Atlantic Treaty provides for this. Turkey is a member of the alliance. To prevent defensive capabilities – just the planning, not even deployment – I think that is inexcusable," Rumsfeld told the conference.

Transatlantic ties under heavy strain

Over the past two weeks, Rumsfeld has whipped up a storm in Germany with his disparaging comments about Germany’s opposition to U.S. policy on Iraq. In late January, he labeled Germany and France, another critic of U.S. plans, as the "old Europe".

He followed those up with a further controversial comparison on Wednesday, by lumping Germany together with Libya and Cuba when he described the three as the countries that have indicated they would not help America in a war against Iraq in any way.

In Saturday's speech, Rumsfeld refrained from criticizing Germany directly and instead played down his comments on the "old Europe". "When I spoke a few days ago of the old Europe I caused quite a stir, but if you take my age into consideration, then I think that could be pretty friendly," he said.

There is little doubt that once-taut ties between the United States and Germany -- ties that were tightened during four decades of the Cold War and knotted by American support of German reunification in 1990 -- have been come undone in the past months.

Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has been mute in his public comments about Rumsfeld's latest statement. But a high-ranking member of the German Foreign Ministry let the United States know Friday about the difficulties that Rumsfeld had created.

"It is simply not wise to carelessly endanger a partnership that has been so important to us with such irresponsible comments," said Karsten Voigt, the government's coordinator for German-American affairs, in a radio interview.

Voigt also pointed out that Germany was making a contribution to the U.S. war on terrorism. The Germans and the Dutch will take over the leadership of the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul on Monday. Germany also is assigning 2,600 soldiers to guard 95 U.S. bases and facilities within the country as the American military has built up its forces around Iraq, and Schröder has promised the Americans that they could use these bases to conduct any war.

"When (Rumsfeld) fails to publicly mention this, I think he is making a political mistake," Voigt said in a separate radio interview.

Those outside the government made even stronger comments. "Rumsfeld has flipped out," former Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said on the television news channel n-tv.

At the conference, German Defense Minister Peter Struck plans to have a closed-door session with Rumsfeld. Struck told a Munich newspaper that he planned to use the meeting to clear up some issues between the countries.

U.S. economic pressure on German companies says paper

The high-level conflict has unsettled the German business community, much as Bush's military buildup has troubled the country's peace movement. "We are extremely concerned that we could lose 10 percent of our exports to the United States," said Anton Börner, the president of the Federation of German Wholesale and Foreign Trade.

Such a loss could be devastating for the German economy, Börner told a newspaper in Hanover, the Neue Presse. In the face of Germany's high unemployment rate and stagnating economy, he said Schröder was acting irresponsibly in his opposition to the U.S. drive to overthrow Saddam.

In the latest development, the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag has reported that the United States is reportedly putting economic pressure on Berlin. The paper says that the U.S. has decided to cut its planned multi-million investments in German military bases.

The Bush administration has also threatened to put economic pressure on German companies that do business with Iraq, the paper reports. A letter sent by the government in Washington to Germany's Economics Minister Wolfgang Clement reportedly names firms such as Siemens and warned that they would lose their business ties to the U.S. if they continued to export to Iraq. Germany has strong trade ties to Iraq worth some 336 million euro.

The U.S. Defense Secretary's visit to Europe to drum up support for a possible American-led military attack against Iraq has been met with large anti-war demonstrations and protests. Hundreds of demonstrators have poured into Munich to join protests against the conference of what they see as the "world's war elite" and a possible war against Iraq.

[americanbychoice]

German companies are complaining that their exports to the U.S. are projected to have a 10% loss. It would bring Germany into a recession and increase the unemployment drastically. I would say that the rise of the Euro against the dollar coupled with American reluctance to buy German is starting to be felt.

[longjack]

Translated from "Die Welt" News Ticker. This report is off the ticker now.

Berlin (dpa) The US has put investments in further expansion of their bases in Germany on hold. Reports "Welt am Sonntag". The paper sources a US Defense department Communiqué. The report indicates all unnecessary projects should be stopped. This affects construction projects for the US Air Force in Rhineland-Palatinate worth a figure of 100 million Euro. On US Airbase Ramstein five currently licensed projects worth 70 million Euro are questionable.

erschienen am 07.02.2003 um 22:12 Uhr © WELT.de

"Die Welt" News Ticker..

1 Euro = c. 1$

longjack

[gaspar]

There has been a hardcore anti-American and pro-Marxist strain in western Germany. It has dominated the left leadership ever since the days of Willy Brandt (and his Marxist secretary and spy for East Germany). Don't expect gratitude from Fischer and his bunch for the sacrifices Americans have made on their behalf. You won't get it.

[expatpat]

Good. Nail Schroeder and Fischer to the wall.

Also, the wonderfully-named Klaus Kinkel and Peter Struck.

[mikenola]

Seems to me that alot of Europeans, deep in their pessimistic, fatalist hearts, were more or less OK with Sept. 11 .

With "friends" like the Europeans, who needs enemies? sheesh

[Faraday]

There is this assumption in Europe (and much of the rest of the world) that because the US is the big dog on the block, it must accomodate the yapping of the poodles done for their own domestic audiences. In normal times, I understand this. However, now is not "normal". The European navel gazers have not come to the realization that a struggle for the future of civilization is underway. And it particularly rankles after 50 years of US blood and treasure have been expended in defense of these ingrates. (And Germany/France used that defense umbrella as an opportunity to develop a socialist welfare state.) All countries should be aware that the world is being reshaped, and the passive won't have a voice in that process.

[Paraclete]

Besides depriving the German economy of dollars now, this also sends the message that perhaps we question the wisdom of making a longer term military investment in Germany.

Something for them to ponder.

[Dog Gone]

I think it's important to realize that this is a crisis for Germans, too. They have fallen into the trap of socialism and the utopian promises it offers. They have gone so far as to have Green Party members in key cabinet positions.

Socialism and utopianism are fine as long as there is plenty of wealth and no hard choices to make in the world. But, now the policies that destroy wealth are nearly complete. Things that seem so wonderful, like government-paid vacations for the unemployed, can't be sustained.

Unemployment is soaring (hardly a surprise, since you always get more of what you subsidize), and investment is falling. Raising taxes is the worst possible solution, but the only one which socialists know. Cutting their utopian social safety net would be a repudiation of their own core beliefs.

Putting it into a context of the requirements that the EU makes of all member nations only makes things worse. Germany is so far out of compliance that it wouldn't qualify for EU admittance.

Now, a war in Iraq threatens the economic ties it has there, which is the last thing they want. With the utopian peace movement having established itself so firmly among Germans, it's hardly a wonder that the socialist government opposes war in Iraq.

But the government is in a no-win situation. It has alienated the richest nation on earth, and economic ties to it are seriously threatened. There is no way out for the current German government, except to repudiate their own beliefs. I don't know if they can do that. I rather doubt it.

But the German people will soon recognize, if they don't already, what these failed policies and beliefs have brought to the country. We saw a glimpse of that in the state elections last week, where the ruling party got slaughtered.

It's going to be difficult for Germany to readjust its mindset and abandon the utopian promises of the current government. But Germans are not stupid people. They wanted to believe the lies, but those lies have now been exposed. The hardcore German left won't abandon their principles, but I think the average German will.

Unfortunately, that may take several difficult years to accomplish.

[Domestic Church]

"extending NAFTA as an alternative to Eastern Europe"

As much as I detest NAFTA, this would be fun to watch!

[July 4th]

Pulling out of NATO (thereby killing it) would have another beneficial effect. It would force all of the continental Europeans to spend money on defense. It might go a long way in helping to dissolve some of the socialism, as they'd have to immediately divert funds.

[Domestic Church]

"All countries should be aware that the world is being reshaped, and the passive won't have a voice in that process."

Worth repeating! This will turn into a major eurosocialist land/$$$ grab if we let it.

[livius]

Actually, a lot of "Italian" olive oil comes from Spain, because it's excellent olive oil, but the Spanish are too disorganized to market it themselves.

However, that said, the EU has managed to make many countries dump their own specialties. The Spanish clementine and citrus market has been undercut by the EU by giving favorable treatment to Morocco. And at EU orders, the Spanish also had to cut down large numbers of their olive trees and rip out their vineyards (to make way for GERMAN wines!).

Granted, Spain and Italy get some funds for infrastructure things (preserving monuments, etc.) from the EU, but I think it doesn't really outweigh the destruction of their own industries and their feeling that they have lost national sovereignty.

I think one thing that we are seeing with the many countries who are joining the US and Britain at this time is a rejection of the German/French control that has been imposed on them through the EU.

[sheik yerbouty]

We shouldn't buy their products either.

[Yudan]

That's a great idea, Ivan.

The North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement. I like that.

Yudan

[jimkress]

We SHOULD send more inspectors to Iraq! About 300,000 of them armed with infantry weapons, tanks, artillery, planes, etc. They should disarm Iraq by inspecting and blowing up all suspected sites, facilities, and weapons they find. They should also shoot anyone who attempts to interfere with their inspection activities.

These are the ONLY inspectors who will make a difference.

[SevenofNine]

Cheers sweetie dahlingsssss Rummy

Hey Ivan actually Rummy is very right on the money NEW Europe aka Czech Republic and Romania telling Dubya go for it Dubya lay smackdown on Saddam

I think Germany finally realizing they are not our little buddy anymore because of steadfast not go after Saddam

Yeah they been hanging out with coward France with too long


Rackkk Rummy for point that out

[OldFriend]

sick willie used NATO as his vehicle for attacking Serbia. The leftist freedom hating minions over there went gladly into their bombers and we, to our everlasting shame, followed our evil president.

[Wphile]

Germany chose this route when they elected Schroeder on his anti-American platform. They deserve what they get and I hope the US doesn't give Germany the time of day.

The Germans are trying to lay the blame on the US for the deterioation in the US-German relationship. Sorry, guys...you started it. You made your bed, now it is time to lie in it.

[bandleader]

I wonder who is going to play"Neville Chamberlain"at this"Munich Conference",and whose country will be given away?

[Trust but Verify]

Sounds like a plan to me!