Wall Street Journal front page story today: In a Shift, Schroder Says Germany Is Ready to Help U.S. Build Iraq. WSJ says:
While Mr. Schroder said Berlin wouldn’t provide any funding, he said that Germany was prepared to help train Iraqi police and Military Personnel and to work on varioius infrastructure projects.
Well, it will be good to have the Germans helping to train Iraqi cops and soldiers. They have made a good contribution in Afghanistan. As to not providing any funding, I’m not sure what that means. Are we going to pay the Germans to come in and do this? As to “infrastructure projects”, I guess the German construction industry wants a piece of the action that Brown, Root, et al. are getting and, best of all, apparently, at the expense of the U.S. taxpayer.
I’d say, have the Germans send their drill sergeants, but keep their bulldozers at home. But I’m sure we won’t do that. The U.S. will eagerly seize on any gesture of cooperation from the Germans. And, frankly, it will be good to have them in there.
I’ll knock Schroeder, but I won’t know the German armed forces. They’ve been wonderful during all this.
Rummy gave Germany an out last year. I see no reason to doubt him. As long as they stick the shiv into phrawnce, ok by me, contracts all around.
Yeah, this recent thing with the Germans has been regrettable. You expect it from the French. From the Germans you expect a little better. Yeah, the German military can make a big contribution even just doing training. The French however should be allowed nowhere near the place. I literally believe that they would contact and cooperate with the Baathists, reveal US plans, etc. to assist with the killing of GIs. I literally believe France to be an active enemy of the United States. Not the man on the street maybe, but its government.
Perhaps Schroeder is finally realising being the junior partner in a relation with France gains no benefits. France insisted Germany hold to EC/EU budget-busting “balancing” a while back, now says France can and will defy the rules, which may have given him a heads-up.
And goodness knows we need trained Iraqi cops – and maybe rooftop lights for their vehicles in Falujah.
John,
France made Germany stick to the pact because…Germany is the one country that forced it down everybody’s throat. The disciplined Germans were afraid more profligate places like Italy, Spain and yes, France, would blow an inflationary hole into the whole system by spending their problems away.
So yes, there is a little glee in Paris at seeing Germany falling down on its face with the Growth & Stability Pact boxers around its ankles.
Hey did you guys see Daniel Henningers column on the opinionjournal today?
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/dhenninger/?id=110004036
What I was surprised by was the Gallup numbers he posted;
“Americans who toured Europe this summer reported finding animosity across the Continent, almost entirely related to the Iraqi intervention, support for which among Americans remains well above 60%. Reflexive national pride may play a role, but I think the reaction and division runs deeper. In April, according to Gallup, the percentage of Americans regarding Germany as an ally dropped to 27% from 40% three years ago; France fell to 18% from 50%. So quickly kicking away what others built up in the postwar period is quite an achievement for Messrs. Schröder and Chirac (who this week allowed they’ll support reconstructing Iraq). ”
The UN wasn’t really viewed much better…
The CNN/USA Today/Gallup numbers on the ‘Percentage saying the United Nations is doing a “poor job”: Men (72%), Women (55%), Conservative (69%), Moderate (60%), Liberal (59%), Republican (77%), Independent (61%), Democrat (53%).’
Considering the political fallout German and French leaders will be feeling while only 27% and 18% of the US public views them as allies, hopefully British critics of Blair taking a long term gamble over Iraq will reconsider the soundness of his political instincts?