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.

[PhiKapMom]

ROFLOL!!!!! Sounds like a BEVO fan made that statement!

[StockAyatollah]

How about we go back to being a constitutional republic, pull our troops out of all other nations, and start defending our own borders? Instead, W has us expanding NATO, the cold war relic, and building more entangling alliances.

[dixiechick2000]

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

They are very much IN our way, and show no signs of retreat.

[vbmoneyspender]

How about we go back to being a constitutional republic, pull our troops out of all other nations, and start defending our own borders? Instead, W has us expanding NATO, the cold war relic, and building more entangling alliances.

Because our country's basic war strategy is never to fight a war on our soil. That was what the Monroe Doctrine was all about and that is why we have bases overseas so that if any enemy comes after us (like Al Qaeda did on 9/11) we can then attack them on their home ground, rather than on our home ground. This is really just basic war strategy that I would have though everyone figured out after 9/11.

[vbmoneyspender]

though = thought

[Bonaparte]

That rich kid would be hated whether he shared his money or not. The wealthy, the powerful, the successful are always resented by the envious -- no matter what they do.

[Bonaparte]

"...and building more entangling alliances."

If we hadn't entangled ourselves in an alliance with France, we would have lost our War of Independence. And since when is the safeguarding of our allies unconstitutional?

[Kozak]

Time to pull the Legions back from the Rhine.
Let the Krauts police the Balkans while they are at it too. They have prior experience.

[TruthNtegrity]

Bring 'em all home and let Germany and France learn what it costs to train, equip and base an Army! We've shed enough blood protecting their freedom, and look at how they treat us now.

[america-rules]

"How about we go back to being a constitutional republic, pull our troops out of all other nations, and start defending our own borders? Instead, W has us expanding NATO, the cold war relic, and building more entangling alliances. "

You are ignorant why we have troops all over the world. The US sells billions and billions of goods to these countries and there is a reason we're the richest country in the world.

[Mr. Mojo]

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.

The move would have the added benefit of ticking off the Russians to no end. ....and they deserve it, big time.

[Mr. Mojo]

Anti-Americanism has a price.

It has been a while since the Germans have personally been reminded of that fact ....58 years, to be exact.

[Mr. Mojo]

Germany could well find itself all alone out on that limb about 5 minutes before the war starts

Not quite. ...They'll still have Cuba and Libya :)

[Cathryn Mataga]

Why have US bases in Europe at all? Really, since 9/11, the Russians have been even closer. Seems to me, if the US is going to be in Iraq and Afghanistan long term, we should try to save some expenses by getting out of Europe completely -- so we don't go completely broke.

[bayareablues]

You're absolutely right, they are free to take a stand on Iraq either way. We're also free to decide where to base are troops, are we not? Maybe it's time to share some of these contracts with our other buddies in eastern Europe. I guess I also don't see us as being responsible to shore up the German economy.

[Republicanus_Tyrannus]

"How about we go back to being a constitutional republic, pull our troops out of all other nations, and start defending our own borders?"

First, I agree that we should spend more attention on our own borders.

That said, I feel I should honestly and cogently answer your question.

Because we do not wish to be invaded and killed.

Got that? Number one, the idea that alliances are somehow not Constitutional is false.

Number two, we Americans do not only live INSIDE of America. Some people live in other countries. They need protecting.

Number three- isolationism is weakness for a large, wealthy, influential country. If you are isolated, you are minimized. You are literally cutting your own throat with a dull knife --- slowly, painfully bleeding yourself to death, economically.

Number four - our alliances are our honor-bound words to protect people who trust us and who help us as well. Without alliances, we wouldn't even be able to protect ourselves - vital supplies could be cut off without consequence. We could be blockaded for producing a movie that offended Djibouti. We could be invaded for not giving Cameron Diaz an Oscar. Our citizens would be casually murdered & kidnapped in foreign nations.

Number Five-- We would be forced NOT to respond to threats UNTIL they come to fruition. And then, we would be forced to fight a war, every war, on our own soil.

That's only five reasons. Those surely should weigh more than the words of a retiring President over two hundred years dead. Words, by the way, which have NOTHING to do with our Constitution.

Does the above answer your question sufficiently?

Hope it helped

[Rose in RoseBear]

Actually, although France and Germany are standing on the same branch, France has an arm wrapped around the trunk; Germany, watching France, has backed out on the narrow end of said branch. France is gonna saw the branch off about 48hrs before war begins.

France is all about aggrandizing France, and making sure they are the dominant member (pun intended) of the EU. Germany was getting a little uppity there ...

[magua]

calling bush hitler was real smart.paybacks are a goods thing.

[MarkDel]

First Salute,

You make an interesting point here, but your main contention that "Germany has been a good ally" is just not true. Germany has been an ally of convenience since the end of World War II and our relationship has played out like this:

Stage 1: Germans have no choice but to be our "friends" as they lost the war and we are administering their country, at least the Western half, but more on that later.

Stage 2: The US pumps massive dollars into rebuilding Germany, so the German public has no overt reason to be anti-american, though there is still underlying resentment over the division of the country and the lack of autonomy.

Stage 3: West Germany becomes a "real country" again and is FORCED to be a major ally of the United States because the Soviet dominated East Germany is a major threat to their well being. The US continues to keep major arms and troops in the new West Germany.

Stage 4: For a couple decades, the West Germans play kiss ass with us so the Soviets won't invade them. While they are doing this, German academics begin brainwashing entire generations with pro-socialist, pro-marxist philosophy which increases West German sympathy towards East Germany and invigorates the movement towards re-unification.

Stage 5: By the 1970's, things are starting to "fall back to normal" in Germany as nationalism is on the rise, anti-semitism is becoming "in vogue" again and the anti-american rumblings are become more frequent. Case in point...it's a pretty good bet that Muslim Terrorists received major help from native Germans in pulling off the murder of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.

Stage 6: West German anti-americanism reaches a fever pitch with the Ronald Reagan Presidency from 1981-1988. Reagan takes a hard-line approach with the Soviets and increases US presence in West Germany both in terms of weapons and troop deployment. West Germans react with NASTY anti-americanism as the new "militant pacifist" elements become more and more prevalent.

Stage 7: Thanks to Reagan's policies, the Soviet Union falls and eventually this leads to the reunification of Germany. Germans ignore the obvious and give the US and Reagan ZERO credit, choosing instead to focus on how the Soviet Union was doomed fof failure...conveniently forgetting this fact as they themselves conitinue to stampede towards a more socialistic/marxist state.

Stage 8: Germany spends the 1990's convincing themselves that European decline can be overcome through the formation of a socialistic E.U. where economics and a World Court System will further peace and justice in the world. They now view the US not as a convenient but disliked ally, but they come to view the US as the primary threat to their new utopian Europe...they of course conveniently forget the fact that their socialist government spends NOTHING on national defense, and without the US, Germany would lose a war to the New York City Police Department.

Stage 9: With anti-americanism now an "art form" among the rank and file Germans, unscrupulous politicians use this sentiment for selfish reasons to draw attention away from SEVERE short term and even worse long term domestic problems. Silly immigration laws have also left Germany with a massive, ever increasing Muslim population which represents a disproportionate amount of the crime in that country, as their only useful purpose in society seems to be providing cheap sexual thrills for disgracefully slutty German women. Fear of Muslim anger on the streets contributes to their anti-american stand, much as it does in France. Of course, Germans do share one common trait with their new Muslim brothers...they'd like to kill every Jewish person they lay eyes on.

Stage 10: The German government incorrectly forecasts that anything that makes the US stronger, makes Germany weaker over the long haul...hence the opposition to US success in the Middle East.

And this is we where stand today...NOW PLEASE TELL ME HOW IN THE HELL THESE GUYS HAVE EVER, EVER BEEN A GOOD ALLY???

[snopercod]

Why do we still station American troops there? The original reason for it no longer exits, and the Germans resent it.