Washington warns over investment in Germany

Gulf Daily News ^ | 9 Feb 2003 | Gulf Daily News

[pepsionice]

BERLIN: Washington is tightening the economic screws on Berlin over a looming conflict with Iraq, threatening to clamp down on both the government and private companies in staunchly anti-war Germany, according to Press reports.

The US has decided to freeze all but the bare minimum of its planned multi-million investments in its German military bases "because of the political situation," the weekly Welt am Sonntag reports today.

A letter from the office of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announcing the decision has been sent to the US command in Germany, according to the weekly.

Washington is also threatening to clamp down on German companies who maintain their trade ties to Iraq, the newspaper Die Welt said in its edition yesterday.

The administration of US President George W Bush, in a letter to Berlin's economy ministry, said companies that do business with Baghdad would compromise their ties to their US trade partners, according to the daily.

Germany-Iraq trade ties are worth some $ 364million yearly, according to German government statistics.

Blocking US military investment across Germany could mean a major loss of capital, as it would shelve a100 -million-euro US Air Force investment in the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Renovation at the US military airport at Ramstein, in the same state, could also be affected by the plan, the paper said.

Germany has more US military bases than any other European country.

Berlin, a traditional US ally, has come out strongly against waging war on Iraq, saying it will not participate in military operations and will not vote in the Security Council in favour of the use of force.

Pentagon chief Rumsfeld has lashed out several times at Germany, recently lumping it together with Libya and Cuba - Washington's sworn enemies - as countries who would not participate at all in a US-led coalition against Iraq.

[pepsionice]

This quiet action had been going around Germany for two weeks. The Germans had heard that a 'review' had occurred and that the US was seeing what contracts it had already signed and what contracts were in the process. At the national level, the German government could care less. At the local and regional level, this means loss of jobs and capital. It undermines the SPD support at the regional level in the areas that the Americans maintain bases. Its a poor tool to use for this type of situation, but its one of the few tools that the US actually can use.

[PhiKapMom]

I have a better tool -- pull all of our troops out of Germany and station them in countries that want us! Getting fed up with the Anti-American rhetoric coming out of Germany at most levels.

[CanisMajor2002]

Whoo hoo! The U.S. Excrement List is in full force! I would have thought France would be a charter member though...

[vbmoneyspender]

here, here. BTW, it would be nice to put some of the bases in Poland. I think a base near Gdansk would be particularly appropriate just to make sure that the Germans never get ideas about retaking East Prussia.

[pepsionice]

The Poles would be in 'hog-heaven' if we were to move 50,000 troops out of Germany and into Poland. At least a billion dollars a year that would filter into the country. And their support would never be a question...unlike some weasels we know of.

[First_Salute]

This is a serious mistake; it's a repeat of what secured in many Germans' minds, the chance that nationalizing socialism was a risk they would have to take.

The Germans have every right to say no to our adventures ... as long as they stay out of the way.

But to try and squeeze the Germans economically, when they are already facing hard times, is poor planning; and that is an understatement.

The Germans have been very good allies, and they do not merit any disrespect nor economic tryst.

[McGavin999]

I don't think it's a poor tool at all. And the German government WILL care when they realize the loss of taxes those contracts would have provided. More unemployed will also do Schroeder no good at all. Anti-Americanism has a price.

[Arkinsaw]

Whoo hoo! The U.S. Excrement List is in full force! I would have thought France would be a charter member though...

France has made whiny noises in the last few days. I think we have hopes of peeling them away from Schroeder at the last minute. A pretty good bet actually. The Germans are out on a limb with the French. Would anyone be willing to bet that the French will stay loyal and brave to their German allies?

Nope. Germany could well find itself all alone out on that limb about 5 minutes before the war starts. They should know by now not to ever count on the French to stand firm.

[Atchafalaya]

Bull, I'd bet my last dollar that after the dust has settled and the paperwork (invoicies) is talleyed; the former US allies have made a megashitload more than 364 billion a year selling stoff to Saddam. There is a Frog that came hopping in on a sunny day in that mix also. They are both dirty!!!!!!!!!

[Atchafalaya]

You are with us or......

[Arkinsaw]

The Germans have been very good allies, and they do not merit any disrespect nor economic tryst.

The administration stated the other day that they felt that German foreign policy under Schroeder is a fluke that was rejected at the recent State level elections. When the Germans elect a responsible leadership and act as allies then I am sure all this will be forgotten. But until then....

[Iwentsouth]

I think the German people electing that bastard , when he ran on a America sucks platform was the biggest mistake Germans did.

They deserve anything that happens to them. Germans are not good allies.

Hell they even hated us when the Berlin Wall was still up and our troops were willing to die for there socialist asses.

[finnman69]

Lets move the bases to Poland.

[PhiKapMom]

The Germans have been very good allies, and they do not merit any disrespect nor economic tryst.

Tell that to Turkey who they are turning down when Turkey asked for the help of NATO (BTW Germany and France are only two countries but so far are threatening to veto any help). As long as Schroeder remains in power, then they are getting what they deserve. The German people voted for the man and he ran on an Anti-American/Anti-Bush platform so they knew exactly what he stood for.

For us to pour any more money into our bases would be just flat out dumb since we don't know when/if Schroeder is going to tell us to take our troops and leave. We do not want to upgrade anything and should be looking around at other countries.

There is an old saying Those who ignore the lessons of history are bound to repeat them. Well Germany/France should know better than anyone what happens when you appease a dictator!

[Iwentsouth]

Plus I am sick of America acting like that kid in school nobody likes. The kid gives people money so they will like him. Only thing is they take the money and then make fun of him behind his back.

[Atchafalaya]

Hey , check it out. 1. The French never do anything unless it benefits them economically. 2. They will do anything and say anything to try to make themselves perceived as relevent on the worlds stage. 3.They are irrelevant in the real scheme of things. We bailed them out twice and had we not; French as a language would have followed Latin and they would be speaking German. I'm 1/3 French but they need a gut check.

[southernnorthcarolina]

Anyone who owns stock in German companies might want to consider bailing, even though they've mostly been hammered already. This can't be good for BASF, Daimler-Chrysler, Hoechst, Siemens, Deutsche Telekom, Deutsche Bank, etc.

[Porterville]

To Poland!!!

[vbmoneyspender]

There is an old saying - Those who ignore the lessons of history are bound to repeat them.

There is another old saying: "When you screw with the bull, you get the horns,

[First_Salute]

James Carville's hand?