Schroeder Regrets Words That Hit U.S.-German Ties

Reuters ^ | April 19, 2003 | Erik Kirschbaum

[Jemian]

It will take some serious repair work

Biting your lip and saying words does not an apology make. It will take actions for years starting now and extending well into the future before this is accepted as a real apology.

We've seen this type of apology before. It didn't work then and it doesn't work now.

[The Other Harry]

Remember Condi Rice's rule of postwar politics:"Punish France, ingnore Germany, and forgive Russia."

Condi actually said this?

I happen to agree with it. I also agree with Condi being our next president.

[HassanBenSobar]

Good points. He is barely hanging on politically anyway. But, having apologized, I think that Churchill's advice to be 'magnanimous in victory' would be well heeded. That doesn't mean we all forgive and forget, but I wouldn't think it all that bad for W to accept a phone call from Schroeder now. (Not that I'm going to consider a German car for a long while...)

[RockBassCreek]

Perhaps this is an issue of historic friendship. If that were true it would be a pleasing thing. I do believe, however, that this is a retreat based on economic fears. Germany is afraid of any economic jolt coming their way from the U.S.

[F16Fighter]

And how about these poignant words of conciliation and deep analysis from the German Yoda, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder:

(Last week) "It is always good for mankind when a dictator is removed."

What is this -- a bumper sticker slogan??

[MeekOneGOP]

[Drango]

And I regret Schroeder, but we're both too late.

[Choose Ye This Day]

MadIvan just posted this in another thread. Sounds like Schroeder is trying a CYA:

Germany's intelligence services attempted to build closer links to Saddam's secret service during the build-up to war last year, documents from the bombed Iraqi intelligence HQ in Baghdad obtained by The Telegraph reveal.

They show that an agent named as Johannes William Hoffner, described as a "new German representative in Iraq" who had entered the country under diplomatic cover, attended a meeting with Lt Gen Taher Jalil Haboosh, the director of Iraq's intelligence service. During the meeting, on January 29, 2002, Lt Gen Haboosh says that the Iraqis are keen to have a relationship with Germany's intelligence agency "under diplomatic cover", adding that he hopes to develop that relationship through Mr Hoffner.

The German replies: "My organisation wants to develop its relationship with your organisation."

In return, the Iraqis offered to give lucrative contracts to German companies if the Berlin government helped prevent an American invasion of the country.

The revelations come a week after The Telegraph reported that Russia had spied for the Iraqis, passing them intelligence about a meeting between Tony Blair and Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister. Both the British and Italian governments have launched investigations.

The meeting between the Iraqi and German agents took place some six months before Chancellor Schröder's Social Democrat-led government began its policy of direct opposition to the idea of an American/British-led war against Iraq. The policy was adopted in the heat of last year's German general election campaign, at a time when the Social Democrats were widely predicted to lose the contest. Mr Schröder was re-elected as Chancellor last September, largely because of the popularity of his government's outspoken opposition to the war against Iraq. The apparently verbatim account of the meeting between Lt Gen Haboosh and Mr Hoffner was among documents recovered by The Telegraph in the rubble of the Iraqi intelligence headquarters in Baghdad, which was heavily bombed.

During the meeting, Lt Gen Haboosh tells the German agent that Iraq has "big problems" with Britain and the United States. "We have problems with Britain because it occupied Iraq for 60 years and with America because of its aggression for 11 years," he says.

He adds, however, that Iraq has no problems with Germany and suggests that Germany will be rewarded with lucrative contracts if it offers international support to Iraq. "When the American conspiracy is finished, we will make a calculation for each state that helps Iraq in its crisis."

He also urges Mr Hoffner to lobby the German government to raise its diplomatic mission in Baghdad to full ambassadorial level. Mr Hoffner says that it would be a decision for the German foreign ministry, but Germany's diplomatic presence in the Iraqi capital made it easier for him to enter Iraq because he was able to use diplomatic cover.

Last night, a spokesman for the German government said it was "well known" that it had been offered lucrative contracts by Baghdad providing it maintained an anti-Iraq war stance. "Iraq made these kinds of promises before the war and praised Germany for its position," he said.

Iraqi police handed Saddam Hussein's finance minister to American forces after capturing him in Baghdad, raising hopes of tracing billions of dollars the ousted dictator may have spirited away. Hikmat Ibrahim al-Azzawi, who was also a deputy prime minister, is number 45 on America's list of 55 most-wanted Iraqis.

[JustPiper]

For the head of a country to applogize in public, is an extremely important thing and should be accepted by GWB, as I'm sure it will be

Agreed.

[JustPiper]

France can NEVER be forgiven, NEVER!

[Madcelt]

I can give everyone 140+ reasons why the apology of Schroedinger ChIraq and Puthen are worth ZERO. I can direct everyone to a very long list of thier names. A unified front would have pushed Saddam out probably with much fewer casualties. But thier desires to prop up a totalitarian regime and profit from it,block a UN action, have casued this rift. It's thier bed now they can sleep in it! Keep in mind GWB cant force me to go to France,Germnay or Russia, he can't make me buy thier goods. But I can make GWB hear me and many others about "bringing" home our fallen soldiers from "foreign lands"! And yes I am one of the ones that is Calling/faxing my congressman and Senators offices till they "get" the picture too! This way many Americans will not be forced to "patronize" those nations.

[Krodg]

Maybe not....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/896547/posts

[George W. Bush]

"I deeply regret there were exaggerated comments -- also from cabinet members of my previous government," Schroeder told Der Spiegel...

Awww... He's only begun to regret it. We've got a big old serving of payback-is-a-bitch waiting for Herr Scrhoeder and the German business sector.

Last week he said: "It is always good for mankind when a dictator is removed."

Or a Left wing appeaser and America-hater like you, Herr Schroeder. We may be willing to accept telephone calls from your successor. After we remove most of our troops from their German bases, you ingrate.

[George W. Bush]

and let's not gorget Germany allow overflights over its airspace during the war...it could have block us from using its airspace..and in afghan, the germans are playing a leading role in keeping the peace there...if germany block the airflights over its space, our boys from uk has to fly across spain then turn sharply eatward to strike iraq - takes an extra 3 hrs of flight and limit the time spent over iraq in target drops..

I think you shouldn't forget that we allow a wing of the Luftwaffe to lease and fly out of a U.S. base in the Southwest. Germany probably understands that if they denied us overflights, we'd kick the Luftwaffe out of America. It's a favor we do for their military and our own citizens aren't that happy about it.

[FreedomPoster]

>>I do know that if the U.S. consumer EVER stops buying the pricey Audis, BMWs, Mecedes, and Porschs - it will be all over for the German economy.

That will happen when the performance / exterior & interior quality / driver ergonomics of U.S. manufactured vehicles match that of the Germans. They aren't there yet, but they're getting better. The Z06 Vettes have the P-car guys crying in their Beck's, performance wise, but have a ways to go to match the build quality, interiors, and driver ergonomics of the Porsches.

[PGalt]

"It is always good for mankind when a dictator is removed."

It's just as good for mankind when a co-conspirator or enabler is removed.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

A few obligatory corrections, if I may:

["I deeply regret there were exaggerated comments..."]

"I deeply regret that I made exaggerated comments..."

[He and his center-left government...]

He and his far-left government...]

[demkicker]

"..."I deeply regret there were exaggerated comments...

Didn't use "deeply" enough times to get a pass...

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[German media have reported Bush has declined to take calls from Schroeder. ]

Same for Chirac. Good job GW!