Posted on 02/08/2003 12:53:34 PM PST by Indy Pendance
MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Saturday warned Germany and France -- the most vociferous critics of the U.S. hard-line toward Iraq -- they risk isolating themselves rather than the United States if they continue their resistance to forcing Iraq to disarm.
"There is more difference among Europeans than there are between the United States and Germany," Rumsfeld said, referring to a recent letter of support signed by eight European countries for a tough stance toward Iraq. It was followed this week by another signed by 10 more nations.
"I sense there's a lot of wisdom in Europe," he said.
In what is likely his last opportunity to engage the European allies face to face before a probable war with Iraq, Rumsfeld came out swinging, warning the defense ministers gathered in Munich for the 39th annual Werkunde security conference it is not just the United Nation's credibility on the line, it is now the 50-year-old alliance itself fighting for relevance.
Rumsfeld blasted the "two or three" NATO members -- including Germany and France -- who are blocking a NATO proposal to direct the Strategic Allied Commander Europe to prepare a Patriot missile battery, a surveillance plane and chemical and biological detectors to protect Turkey from a possible attack from Iraq. His remarks came in a speech Saturday to the alliance defense ministers gathered here for a security conference.
"It is beyond comprehension to me how in the world can a NATO country," he began, and was interrupted by thunderous applause. "To prevent just the planning I think is inexcusable," he continued.
"Those preventing the alliance from taking even minimum measures to prepare to do so risk undermining the credibility of the NATO alliance," he warned. "If they won't live up to that, what next might they not live up to?"
Rumsfeld said if NATO does not approve the protective measures for Turkey, the United States will do it independently.
"Turkey will not be hurt. The United States (and others) will go right ahead and do it, let there be no doubt," he said. "What will be hurt is NATO."
A senior defense official told reporters Saturday afternoon he expects NATO to approve the proposal on Monday. So "confident and comfortable" was NATO Secretary-General Lord George Robertson that he put the proposal under a "break-silence procedure," meaning if no NATO member objects, it will go into effect.
The United States proposed NATO send Patriot missiles, an AWACS plane and chemical and biological weapons detection equipment to Turkey three weeks ago. The proposal has been stalled because of Germany and France's objections, the senior defense official said.
Turkey could invoke Article IV of the NATO charter to secure the protective measures, the official said, but at this point it has opted not to.
"It is a fairly major step for a country to invoke the treaty. This was a desire to move this forward quickly and without invoking the treaty."
It was also a way for the United States to involve and consult with NATO, a gesture it was accused of ignoring after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, the defense official said.
Turkey shares a border with Iraq and already hosts more than 1,000 American troops at Incirlik Air Base, from where raids on Iraqi air defense are conducted. As many as 15,000 Army soldiers could be based in Turkey in advance of a war. Turkey is within Scud missile range of Iraq.
Rumsfeld was not alone in singling out Germany and France for criticism. U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said the opposition to the Turkish proposal "exposed the sneering in (Paris and Berlin) about the impulsive cowboy in the White House for the vacuous posturing and obvious misdirection that it is," and also exposed "the myth that France and Germany speak for Europe."
McCain also accused them of "America-bashing to rally their people and other European elites to the call of European unity."
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., took a more conciliatory tone, saying he understood part of the reason for the rift: the Bush administration's balking at the Kyoto global climate change treaty, the international criminal court and the abrogation of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia.
"I fear during the last two years our administration has not listened to Europe," said Lieberman, who has declared his presidential candidacy for the United States.
Rumsfeld also blamed the European leaders for the popular opposition to a U.S.-led war in Iraq, saying "if they pounded in" their misgivings often enough, the public would oppose it too.
Rumsfeld then launched a broad attack on the United Nations for allowing Libya to head a human rights commission and Iraq to head a disarmament commission.
"That these acts of irresponsibility could happen now, at this moment in history, is breathtaking," leaving no doubt that in his mind the United Nations has already lost its credulity, Rumsfeld said.
"Those acts will be marked in the history of the United Nations as either the low point of that institution in retreat, or the turning point when the U.N. woke up, took hold of itself and moved away from a path of ridicule to a path of responsibility."
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer made a passionate, defensive response to Rumsfeld's charges.
"We are doing better than the others are!" he said, referring to the German troop contribution to Afghanistan, which now numbers 3,000, he said. Germany is also slated to take over command of the international peacekeeping force with the Netherlands.
Fischer said he personally had pushed Germany, after years of non-militarism, to join the war in Kosovo, and then in Macedonia and then in Afghanistan. But he sees a clear distinction between those situations and Iraq.
"It wasn't just force. It was a last resort," he said.
Germany is not shy of using force when it is necessary, Fischer said from the podium but directly to Rumsfeld, who was now seated in the audience.
"Why this priority now? Why now? We've all known what we've known (about Iraq) for years," he said. "We owe our own democracy to America," he conceded, recalling World War II, "but we have to be convinced."
"Excuse me," he shouted, switching to English, "I'm not convinced!"
With so many difficulties in that region of the world, including Afghanistan which still struggles to establish itself, the continuing search for al Qaida, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, now is not the time to take on a new conflict in Iraq, Fischer declared. He predicted a war in Iraq will be followed by "decades" of military occupation.
"Is the United States ready for a long-term presence?" he asked. "The idea (Iraq) will suddenly blossom into a democracy, I do not share."
NATO chief Lord George Robertson attempted to play down the conflict between the United States and Germany and France.
"This makes good political theater but does not amount to a breakdown in the alliance," he said.
Werkunde continues through Sunday. Rumsfeld is to depart Saturday night after bilateral meetings with the German, Russian, Georgian, Norwegian and Indian defense ministers, among others.
Hmm, let's see... opting out of two unsigned treaties, and invoking the agreed-upon termination clause of a third treaty, is equivalent to willfully and contemptuously violating a ratified mutual-defense pact. Yup, moral relativism circuits operating at 100% efficiency—bring on the primaries!
Thats all we're asking? And NATO has a problem with that??? Well, the scum of the earth said it best, that's it for you.(WKRP flashback for you young'uns).
Someone had a post earlier in another thread about Warsaw Pact II. I think it's time.
Even Clinton said that another resolution is not needed.
If they try to pass a resolution forbidding war we will just veto that.
The United States proposed NATO send Patriot missiles, an AWACS plane and chemical and biological weapons detection equipment to Turkey three weeks ago. The proposal has been stalled because of Germany and France's objections, the senior defense official said.
The above two sentences had me screaming at my computer for a full minute. But I'm alright. I think I'll get some water now.
I read someplace here that we actually are planning on moving most of our bases to Poland. The Germans have the gall to be annoyed about this, because we pay them big bucks for using the land, but that's just too bad.
Agree with everything else you say - except don't forget, France just about ties with Germany for Jew-hating.
I fear Mr. Lieberman needs an Atlas. Europe is more than France and Germany.
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