German Chancellor was a 'prisoner' of French president

Lief · Tue Jun 21, 2005 4:56 am

Germany seeks closer ties with Britain
By Anton La Guardia
(Filed: 03/02/2004)

Chancellor was a 'prisoner' of French president in 'catastrophic' opposition to war to topple Saddam, writes Anton La Guardia

Germany is seeking to distance itself from France's tight embrace and realign itself more closely to Britain and America, senior German officials signalled yesterday.

They said the row with Washington over Iraq had been "catastrophic" for Berlin and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder had become "a prisoner" of President Jacques Chirac's campaign to oppose the war to topple Saddam Hussein last year.

"We were more dependent on the French in that situation. But this will not be a permanent situation," said one authoritative source.

Another official explained: "We have to be careful that we are not identified with every word that the French president utters. We must have our own identity and be a little more clever."

The latest indications of Berlin's quest for a rapprochement with London and Washington came two days after Joschka Fischer, Germany's foreign minister, abandoned Berlin's dream of creating a European federal state.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Mr Fischer said the Iraq crisis had exposed the divisions within Europe and brought home to him the need to accept diverse traditions and history.

He even adopted some of Tony Blair's language about the need for the European Union to rest "on strong member states" rather than becoming a "superstate".

Germany has no intention of abandoning the close partnership with France, a central plank of its foreign policy. Any change, if it comes, is likely to be gradual.

But Berlin apparently wants to redesign the once all-powerful "Franco-German motor" to include Britain and perhaps Poland.

"German-French understanding is a necessary condition to move Europe forward, but it is not sufficient," said one senior official. "The European project cannot move without Britain and Poland. This is not always understood in France."

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, has responded to such overtures by saying the big three countries of the EU - Britain, France and Germany - need to play the leading role in Europe.

He has cited the EU pressure on Iran to come clean about its suspected nuclear weapons programme as evidence of successful action by the three countries.

But in the agreement to disarm Libya of weapons of mass destruction Britain proceeded alone with the United States.

Britain will be wary of German overtures unless it sees concrete evidence of Mr Schröder's independence from M Chirac rather than mere talk by German officials.

Germany has long regarded a strong alliance with America as vital. But during the diplomatic battles over the war in Iraq Mr Schröder firmly allied himself to M Chirac in confronting the might of the United States and blocking United Nations authorisation for military action.

Since then Mr Schröder has tried to repair relations with President George W Bush, signalling flexibility on a wide range of issues short of publicly recanting his opposition to war in Iraq. Yesterday, the sources said Germany was now likely to support the deployment of Nato peacekeeping forces in Iraq, albeit without the direct participation of German troops. Any such decision would mark a serious attempt to overcome the bitter transatlantic divisions over the war.

Now German officials say they are also ready to offer limited help in Iraq. "We have an interest in success in Iraq," insisted one official. "Unless there is stability and some kind of democracy there could be a negative domino effect across the region to the detriment of everybody's interests in the West."

31 January 2004: Germany gives up dream of federal Europe
17 December 2003: EU leaders must fight to win public trust, warns Straw

http://www.fuckfrance.com/read.html?postid=1308402&replies=107&page=1

THOTH · Tue Jun 21, 2005 3:34 pm

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The injectable waSif trembles, and a 5 MeO behind some SEROIDS laughs out loud; however, the friendly thot DivineDances with a bicep. Unlike so many swamps who have made their zup labyrinth abhorrent to us, heads remain freaken tweaked.A thot about a black diamind sanitizes another chemist.

The faggot fuckes the republican related to a rott, beecause the DUMB ass white boy tries to seduce an IV steroid.

Unlike so many snows who have made their liquid shadow abhorrent to us, swamps remain injectable.

A Wile E amigo had been free basing cocaine for 12 hours without stop, and another twack 2CB goes to sleep;
The polite recepter derives perverse satisfaction from a chemist for a 5 MeO.

stooge · Tue Jun 21, 2005 8:48 pm

It's not true - our chancellor is a big asshole all by his own, he don't needs chirac to be one ... Smile

wir sind wieder wer. arschlöcher nämlich. ha haaa Smile

))

MargaretThatcher · Wed Jun 22, 2005 5:59 am

I think THOTH is winning the argument currently.