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Schroeder, Bush âput Iraq in pastâ
WASHINGTON -- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and U.S. President George W. Bush say their differences over the war in Iraq are in the past.The fish started to smell badly, was better to bury it. The two leaders sat side-by-side in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday, smiling and appearing relaxed as they took questions from reporters. You didnât expect they would be punching each other in public? Bush proclaimed that "relations are good" between the two countries despite bitterness over Iraq. Whatâs "headache" in French again? "We have differences -- in the past," Bush said. "But thereâs nothing wrong with friends having differences. Weâre both committed to putting the differences behind us and moving forward." Must have read my comment yesterday :-) Schroeder, who was fiercely opposed to the war, declared his first White House visit in two years a success. That was easy because just being there must be a success. "We talked not about the past," Schroeder said. "We both agreed that we have to talk about the present and the future now." A German politician replied to a pestering journalist: "Why should I care about the bullshit I said yesterday?" Neither leader mentioned a brewing dispute over the U.S. dollarâs weakness against the euro. A bit of a red herring: Bury a problem by raising another that both can then be willing to solve... costs Bush nothing to say that he favors a strong dollar... in the end the markets decide. In a speech before the Council on Foreign Relations in Chicago on Thursday, Schroeder warned that world trade could be harmed by further shifts in the exchange rate. He meant "German trade" of course. "Major imbalances in the global economy and fluctuations in exchange rates give us cause for serious concerns," he said. I remember times when Germany survived a dollar that had plunged to DM 1,37 (⬠0,70). Today the dollar is at ⬠0,81... so chill. [...] Before leaving for Washington, Schroeder told CNN that tension between the two countries no longer existed. "There is nothing to patch up, because we have a good working atmosphere like people who know that they have to represent their countries and know there are sometimes different points of view, must have," Schroeder said. There is something to patch up, fences to mend and Schroeder to be confined to the dustbin of history. Work in progress. Last year a bitter divide opened between the two nations, halting communication between Bush and Schroeder for months at a time. Not between the U.S. and Germany though, because not everyone was as stupid as Schroeder. Cooperation never really suffered at mid-level, and those people do the important work. Then two months ago the thorny issue was raised of who would win lucrative primary contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq. Germany is not on that list because of its opposition to the war. Subject to change I guess. Schroeder said he expects to discuss ways Germany can help in Iraq, but his refusal to send troops there still stands. Ok, I guess there are many ways to help, just start yet! (Some more free beer for troops for starters? Analysts say the relationship between Germany and the United States is changing fundamentally. Jeffrey Gedmin, of the Aspen Institute, said: "With the end of the Cold War and September 11, both sides for different reasons and similar reasons have been renegotiating the relationship. "It is not all or nothing, itâs not âwe donât need you any more and you donât need us any more,â it is âwe need you sometimes in different ways for different things.â For many Germans who grew up after World War II, the United States was Germanyâs best friend. Now, because of the conflict in the Gulf, a psychological disengagement is seemingly taking place." The Aspen Institute is an organization I fully support. CNNâs Stephanie Halasz said: "The U.S. perception of Germany appears to be improving, perhaps because the war is now over." A Gallup poll this month says only 26 percent of Americans view Germany unfavorably, down from 44 percent last year. Was that before or after some good bottles of Bavarian beer? Posted by: True German Ally 2004-02-27 |
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