Posted on 09/04/2006 4:49:54 PM PDT by shrinkermd
4 September 2006
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has underlined there can be "no military option" for dealing with Iran's nuclear programme, a spokesman said Monday.
"The door for negotiations remains open," said chief German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm.
Wilhelm added: "The chancellor has expressed the view that there is no military option."
US President George W. Bush has repeatedly said he does not rule out any option for dealing with Iran's nuclear programme, which is widely believed to be aimed at building nuclear weapons.
Iran rejects this and says its uranium enrichment is for peaceful purposes. Tehran refused to comply
with a United Nations directive that it cease uranium enrichment by August 31.
(Excerpt) Read more at expatica.com ...
Good work!
Thank you. The Non-proliferation Treaty envisions that one-day, we will eliminate nuclear weapons, and to hold the line at the P5 in the meanwhile. I am afraid, however, that the ball is moving in the wrong direction relative to this goal. I imagined that Chancellor Merkel meant is that we MUST make diplomacy work, if the military option is off the table. BUT, you make clear that she didn't say the military option is permanently off the table.
Stupid Europeans. Taking the military option off the table dooms diplomacy. They simply will not take you seriously.
Well, you know I´m a Merkel fan. I simply couldn´t believe that she changed her position, and I didn´t found it in the German media.
We´ve still two years of talking ahead before military actions will begin. But it´s necessary increase the pressure (and prepare the people that one moment military options are the only options left).
Ah, that's better. So, there may be later 'moments'.
Does this mean that there is an administration official going out on a limb without authorization from the top? OR are you being fed a line to get you to be quiet?
No, it says that there is no military option AT THE MOMENT. That was and is the official German policy, but it doesn´t rule out military options in the future. We´re still two years of talk away until soldiers do what must be done.
I think the EU and US are now trying to negotiate a security agreement with Iran, whereby Iran gives up nuclear weapons development in return for an American promise not to force a regime change in Iran and civilian nuclear power provided and secured by Russia. I'm sure the negotiations over this security agreement are very complex and have to include some exceptions to allow military action by the US in the event of Iranian attacks on the US or our allies. But anyway, I think Merkel and Koffi are trying to help these negotiations by giving Iran some assurance that the US and EU are not planning to force a regime change in Iran at this time. (Sorry to put Merkel and Koffi in the same sentence, but they are saying similar things at this time.)
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