[ItisaReligionofPeace]

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.

We're playing hardball. Good.

[MadIvan]

I'd say Bush should squeeze the German Government till their eyeballs pop. Schroeder has been insulting and a nuisance.

Regards, Ivan

[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

[sheik yerbouty]

We shouldn't buy their products either.

[Bonaparte]

"In the latest development, the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag has reported that the United States is reportedly putting economic pressure on Berlin."

They're right. Not sure, but I think Siemens may have just lost a lucrative contract with one of our hospital chains -- may have even been Frist's. We can support this effort to put economic pressure on Schroeder & Co. by practicing our own "dollar diplomacy" in a boycott.

The German auto industry is vulnerable -- Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Daimler-Chrysler, VW. Also targetable are all the German beer imports as well as wines. Machinery. Machine tools. Pharmaceuticals. Software. Electronics. Then there's Bertelsmann AG, the German media giant that owns publishers like Random House -- which in turn has many subsidiaries such as Ballantine, Bantam Dell, Knopf, The Modern Library (more are listed under the "publishers" link at the Random House home page). They own many magazines such as Bon Apetit and even rags like Princeton Review. Also guides such as the Fodor's Travel series. Then there are small presses they own, like Waterbrook Press and Shaw books.

The US accounts for about 10% of German imports. I'd like to see that figure comes down to about 0%.