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Germany: Tape doesn't link Iraq, al Qaida
UPI ^ | February 12, 2003 | Ravi R. Prasad

Posted on 02/12/2003 12:12:36 PM PST by MadIvan

BERLIN, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Germany said Wednesday a tape the United States claims ties Osama bin Laden to Saddam Hussein does not prove "links" between al Qaida and Iraq.

"From what is known so far, we don't think we can conclude that there is evidence of an axis or close link between the regime in Baghdad and al Qaida," government spokesman Thomas Steg told reporters.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell made public the existence of the tape, which he said would be played on the pan-Arab al Jazeera television network. Al Jazeera, which has aired audio and videotapes from the suspected terrorist mastermind in the past, later broadcast the message that Washington says bears bin Laden's voice.

The voice on the tape can be heard labeling Iraq's leadership "socialist" and its members "infidels."

"Socialists are infidels wherever they are," the voice says. "It does not hurt that in current circumstances, the interests of Muslims coincide with the interests of the socialists in the war against crusaders."

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Wednesday the tape proved a link between the two.

"He (bin Laden) is exhorting the people of Iraq to engage, to roll up their sleeves, to prepare for jihad, a cause that he shares," he said.

"If that is not an unholy partnership, I've not heard of one," he added.

Germany also said Wednesday that its security agencies were analyzing the tape to ascertain whether the voice was in fact bin Laden's.

Wednesday's statement in Berlin is the latest in a flap over U.S. attempts to disarm Iraq using force.

The United States maintains Saddam has a history of lying to the international community and must be disarmed with force if needed. It has said if the United Nations does not act against Baghdad, it will do so alone.

Germany is against the use of military force and earlier this week vetoed -- along with France and Belgium -- a NATO bid to aid Turkey if the alliance's only predominantly Muslim member is attacked by Iraq in the event of a war. Both Washington and the German media criticized the move.

The Handelsblatt financial daily dubbed the Foreign Ministry, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's office and the press office a "Bermuda triangle."

"NATO is fighting for its very survival and in Berlin, the last vestige of international predictability, statesmanlike vision and diplomatic skills is disappearing into the Bermuda triangle that is the foreign ministry and government press office," it said.

It said Germany's foreign policy was in complete disarray while Europe was facing its most difficult challenges since the end of the Cold War.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung argued the government had its priorities wrong. It suggested that instead of blocking the NATO move, Germany could have sent troops to Turkey while opposing Washington's Iraq policy.

"Instead, Berlin decided that its opposition to the United States' Iraq policy was more important to it than its obligation to the Alliance," it said. "NATO is thus being sacrificed on the altar of new German foreign policy."

The daily Die Welt said the government's position could prove critical.

"The Berlin-Paris axis does not really augur well in Brussels, in Europe, with NATO," it said. "The cost of this decision will be enormous."


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Germany; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; binladen; blair; bush; fischer; germany; iraq; saddam; schreoder; uk; us
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To: Sir Gawain
Sadly, agreed. I think the NATO debacle made the State Dept desperate that day.
21 posted on 02/12/2003 1:08:31 PM PST by Destro (History will show that NATO was felled in the Balkans.)
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To: Copperhead61; Mr. Jeeves
It wouldn't matter if the Germans had pictures of Saddam and UBL having anal intercourse....they would still say they weren't 'linked'.....
22 posted on 02/12/2003 1:27:48 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: MadIvan
Germany: Pictures of Hussein and Bin Laden in Hot Tub Looking Over Plans for H-Bomb Does Not Prove Link Between Iraq, Al-Quaeda"
23 posted on 02/12/2003 1:31:17 PM PST by HumanaeVitae (When Libertarians want to rally their political base, they run radio ads in Klingon.)
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To: MadIvan
"BERLIN, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Germany said Wednesday a tape the United States claims ties Osama bin Laden to Saddam Hussein does not prove "links" between al Qaida and Iraq."

Translation: "(Bush administration official here) did not make the case against Iraq."

Totally as expected.

I despise Yasser, Saddam's lap puppy, but AT LEAST HE HAD THE CAJONES TO COME OUT HIMSELF AND DENY ANY LINKS BETWEEN PA TERRORISTS AND USAMA.

...While Saddam contents himself with a Hitler-style propaganda machine to make his alleged case FOR him.

In a side note, now that I've written that, and will again, how long do you expect before an official statment from Saddam denies any links to Binny and says "NO THANKS, WE DON'T HAVE ANY TIES OR WANT AL QAEDA HERE"?

24 posted on 02/12/2003 1:38:13 PM PST by cake_crumb (Without dictators, what reason would we have to keep the UN?)
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To: WillVoteForFood
"Under these circumstances, there will be no harm if the interests of Muslims converge with the interests of the socialists in the fight against the crusaders, despite our belief in the infidelity of socialists."

My favorite quote. The Islamakazis are using the socialists (including Saddam, but NOT in the same way as the Western infidels), while the socialist cleverly think they are using the Islamakazis.

One pits man against man, but with the other, it's the other way around.

25 posted on 02/12/2003 2:01:52 PM PST by cake_crumb (Without dictators, what reason would we have to keep the UN?)
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To: Sir Gawain
I agree, I cringe everytime the mention it. I don't even see why we need proof this is war, not a trial. As Mao said, "War isn't about who is right and who is wrong, it is about who is left".
26 posted on 02/12/2003 2:05:13 PM PST by Dead Dog
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To: EaglesUpForever
"Yes, I have to agree with the stupid socialist and anti-American Germans in this one rare case."

Read this, at www.khilafah.com, and understand what these people want. Hopefully the website is still up: DON'T STOP THE WAR Except through Islamic Politics (Yes, it predates the tape.)

THESE are the people the ghost of Binny is propagndizing for and to. The Enemy.

27 posted on 02/12/2003 2:07:29 PM PST by cake_crumb (Without dictators, what reason would we have to keep the UN?)
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To: Bryan24
Heck, I'm willing to BET that Al Jazeera MADE the last two Binny tapes. So, apparently is the administration...that's the way I read yesterday's events yesterday. Powell's comments sure looked like a poke in the ribs to the Terrorist News Network to me.
28 posted on 02/12/2003 2:23:05 PM PST by cake_crumb (Without dictators, what reason would we have to keep the UN?)
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To: MadIvan
"The Sueddeutsche Zeitung argued the government had its priorities wrong. It suggested that instead of blocking the NATO move, Germany could have sent troops to Turkey while opposing Washington's Iraq policy."

Now THAT would make sense. Now it's too late, because if Gerhardt suddenly changes his tune and becomes all logical and rational and does this, it can be attributed to the arguments of the Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

29 posted on 02/12/2003 2:26:30 PM PST by cake_crumb (Without dictators, what reason would we have to keep the UN?)
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To: MadIvan
"Germany: Tape doesn't link Iraq, al Qaida"
Right...and there was no link between German Nazis and the concentration camps.
30 posted on 02/14/2003 11:01:08 AM PST by Minutemen
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