GERMANY AIMS TO HEAL IRAQ RIFT!!!!!!

[tedzbear]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3134326.stm


Wow. It looks like Germany and Russia are going to let the Bush Iraq resolution pass in the UN after all. Even France is backing down from opposing it. I wonder what back room deals were struck in the 11th hour to make them change their tunes?

It even looks like OPEC will officially recognize the US appointed Iraqi council as a member.


Why is the anti US mood crumbling? Are we THAT powerful that in the end it's always our way or the highway? It appears that the UN will one more time look the other way while a victimized member nation (Iraq) is devoured by its richest members.
:eyes:

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. Um

On close reading of the article, I can assure you no such deal will ever be struck. Schroeder has to say this, though. Remember, in diplomacy, one can never, ever state the obvious truth, like "Hell will freeze over before a deal is struck because your prickish President will never compromise with us one iota." So, you say a deal can be struck "in a few weeks."

[ixion]

2. Ah, just what the Bush cabal was waiting for... now it's on to Syria

great, more war mongering, more death, more torture, and all in the name of We, the People. Just great. :-(

[Brucey]

3. Perhaps we offered them some of the oil or rebuilding contracts.

For a long time I've wondered why the world doesn't stand up to the bully US. I predicted the UN would go along; they normally do. Why is everyone so afraid of having bad relations with the US? Is our economic and military power so great that it would be devastating for the world to oppose our idiotic ideas? They should be putting Chimpy and company on trial, not bailing them out of their criminal scheme. McDonalds, Coca Cola, Microsoft, IBM, 3M, etc. still rule, I guess. The world is no longer made of nations, it is ruled by corporations... and the military/industrial/entertainment complex.

[tedzbear]

7. Right on.

Globally, it does seem like the Fortune 500 calls the shots these days. Their lobbyists span all borders and trade barriers in pursuit of the all mighty dollar, euro, or yen. The rights of the multi-national corporation reign supreme on the world stage and there's no getting around it.
I really do feel like saluting the American flag is in truth saluting IBM, Exxon-Mobil, and Boeing, etc. The "rights" of an economic organization has more sway than the rights of a human being.
Shame!
:grr:

[Devils Advocate NZ]

15. Well, it's like this: George W Bush is crazy...

he has the Football, and Halliburton would love the fallout clean up contract...

[mac56]

4. I think he's just being diplomatic.

Something that Whistle Ass doesn't have a clue about.

There's nothing to be gained by pitching a fit at this point. They're just saying that they're willing to discuss.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

6. BINGO!

Really, think about it, what's in it for the Europeans to get into this mess and what benefit do they get from telling us to fuck off unceremoniously? If they are shrewd, which they are, they'll publicly hold out the hope of a deal, even though they know that Chimpy will never compromise and that they'll get killed at home if they roll over. Brilliantly played. At the very least, they look like the adults now. I won't say what Smirky made us look like.

[DrDan]

5. no doubt in my mind that the taxpayers will pay for this make-up

I don't even want to know the cost for which my son and daughter are now obligated.

[saigon68]

20. WHEN THE DRAFT COMES THEN THEY WILL KNOW THE COST

Coming our way soon. Look upon these criminals to enlist a few Democrats to pass this crap.

[Neutrino]

8. Nobody is offering any money or troops--

so far. Germany has offered to train troops, and Bush wouldn't let
Russian troops dance on his Oil birthday cake. See what kind of dough
they come with--outside of that it's just lipservice.

[Ouabache]

22. This is it - - they giving whistleass the whistleass treatment

Smile, shake his hand, say, oh yes this is great we are on board with it. All very diplomatic like.

Then do like he has done with his education, and environment initiatives, and others here.

Don't fund them, or don't follow through with action, or break the agreement later. They will agree in principle so he can use his pr machine to claim success, that is what we won't like. But no way they are going to do anything to free up our troops so Junior can go on another invasion rampage.

That's my take.

[FlashHarry]

9. Wow. I never thought I'd see 6 exclamation marks in a BBC headline.

</sarcasm>

[Gin]

10. It will be a weak resolution.....* won't get what he wants....

this is window dressing...

[moosedog]

19. We need to remember...

what they feed us, is not reliable information. Let's look elsewhere for the truth, unless there is none left. Seems like it is being smashed daily.

[InkAddict]

11. Extra Care Needs Be Taken

by these countries. In "negotiation" theory, one tactic is to, by any means, continue a dialog, ad nauseum, the thinking being that eventually, if "negotiated" successfully, that player will achieve concessions from the other party. If then, the various tactics are applied all along the "negotiation" track, consensus can be reached for the benefit of the top negotiator.

In any case, it appears that we need the likes of a chess comp computer to evaluate the "moves" five and six out. That being said, I do believe the last match-up was a draw, so this could go on and on for quite a while.

I am hoping that Whistleass&Co. will meet personal CHECK-MATEs along the way, like say, Nov 2004, but it must be realized that persons, like preemption, have a limited shelf-life and come and go, but heads of state are in the habit of dealing with defining their nation for a much longer time. As far as I can determine, the Constitution and Bill of Rights should be serving to unpin the actions of our fearless leader, but he's too childish to realize and uphold the gravity of actions his vow on inauguration day was meant to reign in and distribute to US citizens, et. al. Truly, at this, a MISERABLE FAILURE. Can BIG (RED, WHITE&)BLUE" play chess better that Fisher/Karpov?

Selected needs a good :spank:

[mac56]

13. Good point.

The chess game analogy is a good one. Whistle Ass will be "checkmated" in Nov. 2004. Germany, France, et. al. are savvy. They know this. They're not going to waste any more capital right now.

[Beetwasher]

12. The UN WILL Pass a Resolution on Iraq

But that really doesn't mean very much. It will be a weak resolution that will say other country's can pitch in if they want. That's it. The question is, who's gonna pitch what in? And the answer is, noboby's gonna pitch nuthin' in.

[Kellanved]

14. So now they're listening

"Healing" the rift has been the policy for months now. All offers (Iraqi police etc.) were made weeks ago without any US/UK media reaction.
If Bush offers a compromise Schröder will go for it - the accepted public view is that the bad relations are our fault, not (only) the US's.
And the lobby groups aren't exactly silent either.



At the moment the media is wondering why Bush has denied the request for a Bush-Schröder shake-hands photo-op.

[lanlady]

16. these are just diplomatic niceties--

The end result will be a resolution that offers little hope either to the people of Iraq or to the US taxpayer. As for OPEC, it makes sense to keep Iraq in the fold. The other OPEC members do not want Iraq out there acting independently of the cartel, as that might, in future, bring prices down and possibly even undermine OPEC itself.

[ze_dscherman]

17. Realpolitik

Looks like the once war-opposing countries try to get the U.S. back into the boat. Everyone knows Bush* has failed miserably, the U.S. is in a quagmire, the world's security situation deteriorating, the economy stumbling.

Now, how to deal with this mess? "Western" politicians will try to prevent the U.S. or the ME from slipping into chaos. Way to dangerous. On the other hand, the Old Europeans want to cap U.S. hubris and want to be treated as equal partners again.

Schröders (and Chretiens) talk (no money, no troops!) that the rift can be healed, that there are common goals with the U.S., should be seen from this viewpoint.

It's time to get the madman U.S. back to reason. Despite the war drums some of the "crazies" still bang, the U.S. is to weak to wage another war the scale of the Afghanistan/Iraq invasion anytime soon. Some destabilization, maybe an airstrike, but nothing serious. Except when U.S. politics becomes raving mad and goes nuclear.

It's obvious that the megalomaniac Bush* will never publicly express any guilt or any mistake. It's also pretty obvious that there will be a change in U.S. politics with the coming election. So, why not pay Bush* some lip service, let him save his face and save the world another child king tantrum.

Besides, there are deals and money to be made.

[Merlin]

18. This is Nothing. It's all fluff. I guarantee there will be no agreement.

France knows it will not have to veto because the resolution won't pass.

Sure, all the diplomatic voices are making nice. But read carefully what Shroeder said:

"It should be possible to work out a degree of common ground in the next few weeks that makes it possible to achieve a common resolution."

They are giving Bush the same old razmataz he gives everybody else. Make big promises. Deliver nothing.

There is no way in hell these nations will send troops or money without a share of the booty. And there's no way in hell the booty will get shared without it being public knowledge.

And there's no way in hell the neocons will allow a sharing of the booty. We're talking hundreds of billions of dollars worth of oil field rights for all of Shrubby's friends. They will sabotage any attempt to let go of it.

Bush is in a bind. (And we're right in there with him for another year.)

[Kellanved]

21. This Spiegel story tries to explain Schröder's foreign policy

(and does a good job at that IMHO):
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/english/0,1518,266745,00.html

--snip
The Chancellor is seeking a "German direction" in foreign policy. During his upcoming speech before the UN and meeting with President George W. Bush, he intends to put an end to aggressive confrontation with the United States. At the same time, he is striving to achieve a balance in relations between Washington and Paris.
...
Foreign policy experts have anticipated this shift for some time. "Schröder is practically bursting with self-confidence, and not without justification," says Christoph Bertram, Director of the Science and Politics Foundation in Berlin. According to a high-ranking diplomat, the Americans "are currently even slightly more interested in good relations than we are." In this diplomat's view, Bush must make a serious effort to generate international support if he intends to gain domestic approval for his controversial foreign policy.

...
He is confident that the US president will not ask for German troops. According to circles surrounding the Chancellor, Schröder has made it abundantly clear that the German military has no place in Iraq. If Bush were to ask for German military assistance, his request would be perceived as an affront.

...

Schröder's aim in talking to Bush is not to focus on the crisis in the Gulf. He intends to offer Bush the assurance that Berlin will involve itself more heavily in stabilizing Afghanistan, both with the German military's mission in Kunduz and a diplomatic presence in Herat. For the Chancellor, Germany's role in Afghanistan remains its most important contribution in the fight against terrorism, and he believes that the war in Iraq has done nothing but divert attention away from that effort.

...

[E_Zapata]

23. Fr, Ger and Russia are forced to compensate for the madness of George

They have to keep the longterm goal of stable relations amongst western powers - and do dance around an imbecilic madman and his evil cronies for the time being.

I would like to be a fly on the wall in Schroder's, Chirac's, or Putin's private offices to hear what they REALLY say about Bush.

[Aristus]

24. I was dismayed, too, at first.

But remember, the Europeans were dealing in international power politics when the US was still pissing it's red-white-and-blue diapers. These guys are shrewd. They know the Chimp is vulnerable now, and they're not going to pass up the opportunity to make B*sh look bad, oh, excuse me, worse.

They won't give Turd Blossom anything for nothing.