Germany offers support to Obama

[WillieW]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090110/ap_on_re_eu/eu_germany_obama_1

BERLIN – Germany's foreign minister says he cannot remember so much hope and confidence being generated by an incoming U.S. president.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier has offered his country's support for the incoming U.S. administration in an open letter to Barack Obama.

He says Germany is prepared to help Obama with the multitude of challenges he faces, including the closure of Guantanamo Bay detention center, rebuilding in Iraq, addressing the global financial crisis and fighting climate change.

Steinmeier says that the two countries should "work together in order to fashion a common future."

The letter is to be published in this week's Der Spiegel magazine and was provided in advance to The Associated Press. The Foreign Ministry confirmed the comments

[skooooo]

1. Good..Obama's going to need all the help..

..he can get.

[Bobbieo]

3. Yes, Yes, Yes - All the help he can get!!!!

[tabasco]

18. America is going to need all the help she can get.

Thanks, Germany.

[JVS]

2. Cool! They can start by sending us several tankers of beer!

Seriously though, it's a nice gesture of friendship and could be very useful.

[madokie]

27. some of that blond hashish for me

thank you

[stillcool]

4. What is he on crack?

Hope and confidence? Please. Fear and disgust is more like it.

[WillieW]

5. What are you saying ????? who is on crack?

[stillcool]

11. Frank-Walter Steinmeier...

he must not be paying attention. All that hope and confidence disappeared the day after the election.

[Kaleko]

13. Who says so?

Certainly not the Germans I've been in touch with since the election.

[stillcool]

14. the Americans..

[Kaleko]

15. You speak for all of them, evidently.

[stillcool]

17. No..I speak from what I have read here...

it gets to me after a while.

[Kaleko]

20. That's true. It gets to me too.

Some of us are on the edge all the time.



It ain't easy to see how it can get better while we're going down the rabbit hole together.

[roguevalley]

21. ignore. its your friend.

People are going to speak their mind. Since you don't speak for everyone, they don't speak for every too.

[leftstreet]

6. "including the closure of Guantanamo Bay"

Do I detect some mild snark?

}(

[WillieW]

7. No. An offer of help is never a "snark".

. . . including the closure of Guantanamo Bay detention center, rebuilding in Iraq, addressing the global financial crisis and fighting climate change.

[Pirate Smile]

8. I don't think so. There are going to be quite a few other countries who will help Obama to

close Guantanamo Bay by taking some of the prisoners. It has been in the works for quite a while. They wouldn't do it for Bush but they will for Obama.

I'll find a link.


edit to add - here is one:

A New Chapter: Europe Is Ready to Work With Obama

By THOM SHANKER and HELENE COOPER
Published: January 3, 2009
WASHINGTON — After rebuffing the Bush administration on a number of fronts, European governments are signaling that they may be more willing to engage with the incoming Obama administration on a variety of stalled issues, including taking in prisoners from the Guantánamo Bay detention center and strengthening sanctions against Iran.

....
One issue that may be back on the table is resettling detainees from the Guantánamo Bay prison camp. Though there is still not consensus among European governments, several, led by Germany and Portugal, have said that they will consider taking in detainees if Mr. Obama follows through on his promise to close the Guantánamo prison.

Such a move would remove a major stumbling block to closing the camp and would represent a reversal on the part of European allies who have rejected requests by President Bush to resettle detainees.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/washington/04diplo.html?ref=todayspaper

[Kaleko]

9. Germans, and I think by and large most Europeans,

recognize a higher consciousness in Obama. They see in him and his administration a last chance for the US to redeem itself internationally.

Let's make sure that we contribute our share in seizing the opportunity inherent in our national crisis.

[charlie]

10. The goodwill you engender

just by not sending over a gladhanding idiot who molests their Chancellor. It's almost like magic. Why didn't we think of that sooner?

[malaise]

12. Frank-Walter Steinmeier please call for the arrest of the war criminals

Please!

[RB TexLa]

16. So how much of an aid package are they sending? E40M? E100M? E1B? E10B?

???

[tabasco]

19. They're in NATO and getting killed in Afghanistan.

If you think that's jack shit, go down and sign your ass up.

[WillieW]

22. Thanks

[JVS]

23. And if I might point out, German soldiers are conscripts, not volunteers.

[TheMightyFavog]

26. IIRC, German law forbids sending the conscripts out of the country.

The Conscripts form a force that are essentially a National Guard that cannot be sent overseas. Conscripts who wish to serve overseas must volunteer for the regular military.

[BigBearJohn]

24. Thanks for posting this. You brightened my week. K/R

[Swamp Rat]

25. Can we borrow Nürnberg for a few months?

We'll need a few buildings, armed guards, and some magistrates.