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Anti-War Theme Strains U.S.-German Ties
Tuesday, September 24, 2002
By Peter Finn
Washington Post Service

Many European governments have qualms about an attack on Iraq, particularly a unilateral strike by the United States. But they also said Schroeder went too far in his campaign rhetoric and devalued the notion of a common foreign policy for the 15-country European Union. “We will have to split [with Germany] on this point, because it is important that there are no divisions between the United States, the United Nations and Europe over Iraq,” said Italy’s European affairs minister, Rocco Buttiglione.

BERLIN -- WP
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder moved to repair strained relations with the United States on Monday, accepting the resignation of a Cabinet minister who reportedly had compared President Bush to Adolf Hitler, but he stuck by his firm opposition to war with Iraq.

Speaking a day after he narrowly won reelection with a campaign that repeatedly condemned U.S. talk of war, Schroeder said: “I think this difference of opinion will remain. We will have it out in a fair and open way without in any way endangering the basis of German-American relations. That is my firm intention.”

Of his policy on Iraq, he said, “We will change nothing.”

Schroeder’s campaign strategy damaged his personal relationship with Bush, seriously frayed nearly 60 years of close U.S.-German ties and bewildered key European allies, U.S. and European officials and analysts said Monday.
(More: The Miami Herald News Source)
2002 © The Washington Post.

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