Keep pressure on Saddam: Dutch

The Australian ^ | Februari 10 2003

[knighthawk]

DUTCH Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is unhappy with a Franco-German proposal to disarm Iraq circulating in the media, his spokesman told AFP.

"We are not sure if there even is a plan, it is foolish to launch this scheme through the media and the timing is unfortunate because, as the weapons inspectors prepare to report to the United Nations on Friday, the pressure on (Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein should not let up," ministry spokesman Bart Jochems said.

"If you start waving peace plans now, Hussein will think, 'Great, I will fool them again'," he explained.

[knighthawk]

Europe-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[PhiKapMom]

The Dutch get it! Heard they are making plans to support Turkey!

[68skylark]

"If you start waving peace plans now, Hussein will think, 'Great, I will fool them again'," he explained.

This guy makes the point very well.

It's nice to read comment from a European country that has some good sense. I don't know what's up with the Dutch, but they seem to be "on board" with the U. S. efforts to disarm Iraq, and it's good to have their support.

[68skylark]

Yes, there's more information about Dutch support for Turkey here:

"Dutch to Send Missile System to Turkey"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/838390/posts

And there's some great analysis of this move here:

"Dutch Boldness Signals Trouble in NATO"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/838339/posts

[Keith]

'Great, I will fool them again'

how come this seems so obvious except to the Germans and the Frogs?

[shhrubbery!]

I'm surprised. I thought the Dutch had gone soft. Guess I was wrong! Or did the Netherlands have a change of heart recently -- perhaps after the assassination of Fortuyn?

Or was it problems with Muslim immigrants, as in Denmark?

[inkling]

Does anyone know what party Jaap de Hoop Scheffer belongs to? (And if I might say, "Jaap de Hoop" is the coolest name I've seen in while!)

[knighthawk]

Pim Fortuyn woke up a lot of people. He made a lot of people move to the right.

[Desecrated]

It's obvious to them too. Their "business arrangements" prevent them from admitting it, though. The US liberation of Iraq is simply bad for the middle east arms trade. Nothing more, nothing less.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... did the Netherlands have a change of heart recently -- perhaps after the assassination of Fortuyn? Or was it problems with Muslim immigrants, as in Denmark?"

Knighthawk may be able to clear up what's really going on, but Holland has many Turkish immigrants and naturalized citizens who have concerns about their friends and families back home facing a regional war.

I suspect that the overture to defend Turkey with Patriot II missiles was a gesture to the growing Turkish culture in The Netherlands.

The Dutch don't mind Turks, but they don't cotton to Islamic wackos.

Neither do Dutch Turks.

[knighthawk]

The Netherlands are serious about helping their allies as good as they can. Also because otherwise we will become even more irrelevant.

Turkish immigrants are much more liked than Moroccans or Antillians. Althoug a lot of people don't want Turkey to join the EU, we will support them as an ally, just as we will send Patriots to Israel.

[fightinJAG]

Go, Dutch!

[shhrubbery!]

Interesting point about the Turkish population in the Netherlands. However, I notice the Germans --who also have large numbers of Turkish 'Gastarbeiter'-- are joining the Belgians and French in objecting to NATO's helping the Turks: link

Perhaps the Germans are more hostile to their Turkish population than the Dutch. When I lived in Germany thirty years ago, the classified ads for apartments often had "nur Deutsche" wording in them. The Turks seemed mostly decent family types, though some had a habit of hanging out on street corners, leering at German women. This irritated the Germans, as I recall.

Sorry to say, all my encounters with Arabs (Algerians, Palestinians) in Europe were very negative. I shared an apartment in West Berlin with Palestinians who had gang-bangs of prostitutes in their room, left a filthy mess in the bathroom, and stole other tenants' mail.

We are taught not to generalize the bad behavior of a few to characterize a group. In one's heart, this is hard to do, when their behavior has been very bad.

[Michael81Dus]

"just as we will send Patriots to Israel."

So Germany does. Germany has a loud opposition against the US verbally, but if it comes hard to hard, they´re following DC, except probably in Iraq.

BTW, who is governing the Netherlands after the elections? Great coalition between Social Democrats and Conservatives?

[knighthawk]

There are two possibilities. Either CDA-VVD-LPF, but most likely CDA-PvdA/

[Michael81Dus]

So the great coalition (both have around 40 seats?).
In Austria, forming a government isn´t easy too. I´m wondering what Schüssel will do...

[knighthawk]

He is from the CDA, Chrisitan Democrats. They are center-right and compare somwhat to the German CDU.

His first name is Jaap, and he has got a double last name : De Hoop Scheffer.

[knighthawk]

Yes, CDA has got 44, Pvda 42

[Michael81Dus]

And you voted for CDA? Good man!