[Eva]

What's most interesting about the whole discussion of the German-U.S. tensions is the failure of the press or the governments involved to mention the assistance to the weapons of mass destruction programs that Hussein gave.

It's not really all that surprising. At least we now know why Germany is opposed to attacking Iraq if they don't expose and destroy their weapons of mass destruction. Germany provided them with the technology and is maybe still supplying the aluminum components.

[elhombrelibre]

The truth is Germany just doesn't care, especially if it threaten the state of Israel.

[mewzilla]

Uh, ja.

[ex-Texan]

If Germany gave Iraq WMD or special assistance to create them, then Gerhard Schroeder deserves a pipe bomb shoved up his @ss courtesy of the Mossad..... I have no fear that they have the cojones to do it either.

Schroeder's storm troopers (and the "Green Weenies") have been making noises reminscent of the Nazis all during the debate over disarming Saddam. Very curious, indeed.

[joesnuffy]

Its time to kick the Luftwaffe out of the USA as well...Holoman AFB good place to start

[AzJP]

So what? USA sold helicopters (gunships) to Iraq in the 1980's.

Gave Stingers to the Taliban in the 90's.

What country is innocont of arms dealings?

M

[zefrog]

As a frenchman, I interpret this as another proof among dozens that these Germans are just Johny come-latelies constantly running after fashions set by the French,

Selling nuclear technologies to rogue regimes... God, this is so 1977!

[fightinJAG]

Once read a book about the role of German corportions in the lead-up to both world wars. Think it had "Krupp" in the title, as in the Krupp family, who was big into arms production and sales.

Long before Hitler fixed bayonets on the Jews, German corporations dreamed up and persuaded their government to let them run concentration camps---basically, camps for slave laborers in their factories.

It was German corporations that thought up the initial "Nacht und Nebel" program, that is, going around under cover of night and fog and nabbing people to be transported to the labor camps.

Hitler just picked up on a system already used by German corporations and elaborated on it for his "Final Solution," the extermination of the Jews.

BTW, Algore's father was mighty friendly, and, if I recall correctly, obtained much of his wealth through a relationship with the patriarch of a big German arms-dealing family.

[fightinJAG]

How do we see this film, Stealing The Fire?

[backhoe]

Eva, just going by notoriously inaccurate memory, I recall pre-web articles about Germany, and perhaps France and other nations, selling various countries in the middle east technology that had dual-use possiblities.

Like chemical plants for insecticide that could make nerve gases with some alterations, and bacteriological equipment that could culture germ agents. FWIW!

[MinuteGal]

Slightly off topic, but the other day I fired an email off to the German Consulate in Chicago concerning Frau Gmelin's attacks on President Bush. I received the following email in reply:

"It was with great regret I received your message. We all regret the remarks of Federal Minister of Justice Herta Daubler-Gmelin, who will not belong to the newly elected government.

"Allow me to point out the following sentences of a letter sent from Chancellor Gerhard Schroder to President George Bush on September 20:

'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.'

"Furthermore, the White House Spokesman rightly pointed to the close and special ties between the German and the American people. Justice Minister 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 Gmelin telephoned the US Ambassador to Germany on September 20 to explain the incident. Speaking to the press on the same day, Minister 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 yours,

Dr. Claus Peter Woerner
Deputy Consul General
Office of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany"

Are there conflicting messages in this email or not? Like, we don't approve of this woman, but of course, it's all the fault of the press?

Leni

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Lookie who Germany has been sleeping with. Interesting..

[virgil]

Too bad Germans don't get C-SPAN. A lot of interesting things are being brought up in the hearings. Ignorance is bliss you know. They don't really know where those aluminum tubes are from. I thought I read that this Wisconsin group thinks they are from Ukraine or Belarus. Saddam has been on a shopping spree all around the world picking up dual use materials to build his weapons program. In plain sight with no export controls. It is very dangerous to ignore all of this.

[Lady In Blue]

Did you see this?!

[scouse]

I just received this in an E-mail and I would like some confirmation is anyone knows.

Exclusive:The United States supplied Saddam Hussein's Iraq with West Nile virus, a recently released CDC letter proves. NewsMax.com has obtained a copy of a 1995 letter sent by Bill Clinton’s director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. David Satcher, to Sen. Donald Riegle.

[Sunsong]

What's it going to take for us to act and begin downsizing our troop presence in Germany?