Posted on 10/31/2009 8:31:33 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
BERLIN (Reuters) – George Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev and Helmut Kohl paid their respects to the ordinary people who were behind the peaceful revolution of 1989 that brought down the Berlin Wall at an emotional ceremony in Berlin on Saturday.
The three statesmen from the United States, Soviet Union and West Germany -- whose steady-handed leadership paved the way for the Wall's opening on November 9, 1989 -- recalled the heady events that led to the end of the Cold War at a ceremony attended by 1,800 people.
"We Germans don't have very much in our history to be proud of," said Kohl, 79, who was chancellor of West Germany and then united Germany from 1982-98. "But we've got every reason to be proud about German reunification."
The reunion in Berlin of the three leaders at the center of the whirlwind of events kicked off a week of celebrations in the German capital marking the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Berlin Wall on November 9.
Bush, U.S. president from 1989-93, paid tribute in his speech to the countless thousands of courageous East Germans who risked persecution by attending mass protests to demand reform in the months leading up to the Wall's peaceful collapse.
"It's a joy to be here with my former colleagues," said Bush, who repeatedly put his arm around both Gorbachev and Kohl during the two-hour long ceremony in a theater on Friedrichstrasse just east of where the Berlin Wall stood until 1989.
"The point needs to be made that the historic events we are gathered to celebrate were set in motion not in Bonn, or Moscow or Washington but rather in the hearts and minds of the people who had too long been deprived of their God-given rights.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl (R) reach out his hand to former U.S. President George Bush (C) as former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev applauds during a ceremony of the Konrad-Adenauer foundation to mark the upcoming 20-year anniversary of the fall of the wall which once divided communist East Berlin from capitalist west Berlin, in Berlin October 31, 2009. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
Where was $*%head, out on a 3 million dollar date with Michelle?
Weren’t the sonsofbitches all against it at the time? (There’s an article I saw today, and will read tomorrow, that asserts all were against the unification of Germany.)
On the other side of the Wall, apologizing to all those unemployed STASI officers for our interrference.
Sept 13, 1939 USSR(Russia) invades Eastern Poland
Sept 13, 2009 Seventy years later USA betrays Poland to Russia to get Russia’s favor. Obama sells out the Reagan cold war victory for nothing.
Obama’s probably handing out candy in staged photo ops with him center stage, smiling, leaving the bottom button on his suit unbuttoned, walking with a modified pimp limp, etc, etc, etc........
Why was that blood sucking asshole invited? It makes no sense to me.
What we did is shameful and embarrassing alike.
Instead of honoring agreements and standing by allies, we out of political expediency pulled the rug out from underneath our freinds. But then again, Poland has for Obama personally and politically zero value, so what do you expect?
You know if Republicans or conservatives had a articulate leader, they would apologize to Poland for this betrayal, in the spirit of Obama.
I wear that medal, 1946 Communications Squadron, Tempelhof Central Airport, 84-88.
My father was a retired US Army Major who passed away in 94. He was a veteran of WW 2, Korea and Viet-Nam. The Army of Occupation was one of two decorations we shared.
If an unrepentant commie like Gorbachev can show up why can’t our commie in chief do likewise?
He was ‘invited’ to china to explain how the US are planning to pay the interest for their debt.
He sure would have loved to celebrate a big patriotic victory of the US but China did not allow it.
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