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The Ultimate Irony
Der Spiegel ^ | 9 December 2005 | Der Spiegel

Posted on 12/09/2005 5:30:26 AM PST by Red6

Schroeder takes over guidance job at Gazprom consortium Already in its term of office as chancellors Gerhard Schroeder was noticeable because of its good contacts to the Kremlin. Now he transfers a prominent role in the consortium, which builds the disputed Baltic Sea pipeline from Russia to Germany. Babajewo - the old Federal Chancellor becomes a supervisory board boss of the pipeline consortium NEGP company actively, said the boss of the Russian gas company Gazprom, Alexej Miller, today in Babajewo at the edge of the ceremony to the commencement of construction of the pipeline. It is to represent the interests of the shareholders. Neither Schroeders office in Berlin nor the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs could confirm the data first.

Criticism from Poland and the Baltic Starting from 2010 the Russian gas giant and the German companies want to pump Siberian gas to Western Europe. "Germany receives a direct and reliable binding by the new pipeline to the enormous Russian erdgasvorkommen", said E.on boss Wulf Bernotat today with the ceremony. The Russian gas reserves constituted with approximately 48,000 billion cubic meters well a quarter of the world-wide gas reserves. Around the Russian gas in view of the rising power requirement world-wide one gebuhlt. Rising developing countries such as India or China compete therefore in the meantime with Western Europe. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Michael Glos called the pipeline a milestone in the co-operation of both countries in the energy sector. "I regard it as an important common task to create the appropriate basic conditions to remove thus the enterprises of our two countries this energy partnership can", said the Minister. Glos had already met on its first journey abroad as a minister of economics at the vortag with Putin. The new pipeline is also important beyond the GermanRussian meaning for the power supply of Europe, said Glos.

Above all Poland and the Baltic states criticize the Baltic Sea project violently, the new, third pipeline from Russia to Europe should originally over their territories run. That would have brought in substantial transit charges for these states. For BASF boss Juergen Hambrecht is urgently necessary the new pipeline for reasons of supply security in Europe. of "Europe natural gas need grows, its own production sinks. For the next ten years is alone for the northern part of Europe on a duplication of the necessary imported goods on 290 billion cubic meter per year to count ", said Hambrecht. Schroeders disputed Russia proximity The pipeline by the Baltic Sea is to run from the Russian port Wyborg not far from pc. Petersburg over well 1200 kilometers until grab forest in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. First a line strand with a transportation capacity is planned by 27.5 billion cubic meters natural gas per year. Later a second route is to follow. Altogether the investments are estimated at approximately four billion euro. Germany is the largest export market for the world largest gas company. The Germans cover over a third of their gas need from Russia. The gas, which is to flow by the Baltic Sea pipeline, comes to a large extent from the westSiberian Juschno soot bunk, whose reserves on 700 billion cubic meter natural gas become estimated. BASF already agreed upon a participation in the exploitation of this gas field negotiated with Gazprom, E.on still about it. Already before the election to the Bundestag it had given rumors, Schroeder could become advisors for the nationally controlled Gazprom company. At that time this categorical had been disclaimed. Gazprom is considered as extended arm of the Kremlin and possesses beside the energy business also a medium section, which took over among other things the in former times government-critical news station NTW. As newspaper "reports the" citizens of Berlin, Schroeders appointment decreases/goes back on initiative of the Russian side.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Foreign Affairs; Germany; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: germany; haliburton; oil; schroeder; usa
So, after Schroeder and Fischer played the America Bush Halliburton Cowboy no blood for oil game in 2002-2005, Schroeder now steps right into a multimillion dollar position at Gasprom whom he insured got large contracts supplying Germany with natural gas. No conflict of interests here. No way!

I still can’t figure out if I should laugh or cry?

Red6

1 posted on 12/09/2005 5:30:28 AM PST by Red6
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To: Red6

Whats interesting here...is that Schroeder helped to personally engineer this Russian deal with the Germans. It was a pet project, and actually one of his top 10 achievements (so Germans will say). To so boldy become a exec with them...just a couple of weeks after he finished his term...is absolute silly. But this dude is known for his total lack of common sense. I'm guessing that he will pull in at least $5 million a year...which surely beats that dang ex-chancellor retirement pay of $100k a year. He has a book deal for 1 million Euro as well. And I'll guess that he is drawing various under-the-table payments from Russia...going to some account in the Bahamas. You will eventually see him walk back into politics in Germany...with a cash bucket of tens of millions, and likely reshape the landscape there again. He has no great bills...and other than a ex-wife or two...the guy is in great financial shape.


2 posted on 12/09/2005 10:50:12 AM PST by pepsionice
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To: pepsionice

It strikes me as odd that the US and German media, after all the "Kein Blut fuer Oel", and "Haliburton-Bush conspiracies" in regards to Iraq, to which end even Schroeder ripped his mouth open, that this makes hardly any news.

Just think about the irony here!

Our MSM does not care. This is not news worthy to them. In reality Schroeder backstabbed us as an ally as soon as he saw a German public reluctance to help us already in 2002. Even before the German elections and the imminent attack on Iraq Schroeder backpedaled and had Germany take secondary supporting roles in Afghanistan once he realized that this will be large scale, long term and already then he was losing support from the German public. Instead of standing by us (Uneingeschränkte Solidarität) he took a political opportunistic approach and actually worked against us in Iraq and played the anti-American card. He sucked up to Putin and now gets rewarded by his Comrade friend for selling out the Germans, and stepping on the Poles in the process.

Let their be no confusion here. America was attacked repeatedly. In 2001 the SECOND WTC attack which cost us 3,000 lives broke the camels back. After that we were on a war footing and the Germans, masked with a fake morality (Scheinheiligkeit) all full of (Schadenfreude) let their ally stand alone. Instead of Schroeder explaining why we must do this, why there is a threat, who the threat is, what we are doing, he actually jumped on the Michael Moore bandwagon. It’s a lot easier to do nothing and be critical while riding in the backseat. That is really something to be proud of I guess? To many Germans it is almost as if they are someone again! After all they stood up against us and are no American stooges! “They told us off”. That is the German perception. What courage.

There is a reason why the US is placing the new Missile interceptor in Poland. Why our Intel from the NSA moved to Great Britain. Why our bases are going to Romania and Bulgaria. The political knife fighting has stopped. The US and Germany have no agreement but it’s understood that it’s to everyone’s interest to let the issue rest. Politically those German politicians who played their games can’t push the issue much further without looking obviously fake especially after London, Madrid, Van Gogh, France, Iran….. Somehow, despite the anti-US undertones I believe at this point there must be “some” realization that Bush may have a point? At least those who can formulate their own ideas must come to this realization even if their MSM (Largely State run and the privates overwhelmingly liberal) tells them “All is good, there is no threat.”

The events of recent do tell a lot about current affairs in German politics.

Red6


3 posted on 12/09/2005 9:56:41 PM PST by Red6
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