(Seizure; 03-03; p.2)
The President of the USA, George W Bush let his
former threats carry out and American as well as British armed
forces attacked the sovereign state Iraq.
German politics
Since Germany behaves as a neutral power in
this war, her foreign policy can be focussed on traditional activities
of diplomacy, development and non-warwaging security politics.
Accordingly, within this framework moves almost every MP; beyond
that are arguably only some statements of Angela Merkel, the leader
of the main opposition party in parliament, the Christian Democrats.
A benevolent reading of this behaviour - after
a months-long period of avoiding a clear position eventually the
justification of the American-British assaults - would be that
so a window for communication with the aggressors should have
been held open.
Against that could be stated that therefore a willingness on the
attacker's side was necessary and that there is still dialogue
and co-operation on many issues in the already mentioned non-warwaging
policy fields.
To the latter, one may point to the ongoing
co-operation in Afghanistan or in terror prevention. Moreover,
it would be an insult to American businessmen to assume they calculated
not economically by ordering goods or services but were following
a crude nationalism.
The Minister for Development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul,
already has mentioned that the German government funds humanitarian
help as among others the Secretary General of the United Nations
has demanded. But she as well drew attention to the question of
reparations: aggressors are obliged to compensate for the damage
caused by them.
It should be mentioned that apart from this, occupying powers
have to guarantee food and water supply as well as medical care
for the non-combatting population: the American and British are
fulfilling this obligation in as much as may be observed from
outside.
For the time being, one cannot make out any
public diplomatic activity. But one can assume that the employees
of the Foreign Office are seeking for all-win procedures and solutions
on many levels and with a variety of partners. If at all Germany
is isolated in this respect - some opposition MPs uttered that
opinion - remains to be seen.
(read on here)