Frank-Walter SteinmeierGermany: 'Deal On Iraq Spies' May End Steinmeier's
Election Hopes -- Times Online
Election Hopes -- Times Online
The undercover activities of two German spies in Baghdad just before the US invasion could sabotage the hopes of the Social Democrat Frank-Walter Steinmeier to unseat Angela Merkel, the conservative Chancellor, at the next general election.
The agents, who delivered targeting information for US airstrikes, are due to testify before a parliamentary commission next Thursday and, according to leaked documents published in the latest edition of Stern magazine, are likely to embarrass Mr Steinmeier, the Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor.
At the outset of the US war against Saddam in 2003, Mr Steinmeier was chief of staff to Gerhard Schröder, then the Chancellor, and in charge of co-ordinating the work of the intelligence services. Mr Schröder narrowly won the general election of 2002 with the promise that Germany would take no part in a war against Iraq — drawing the fury of the Bush Administration but also the support of many pacifist and left-of-centre voters.
Now it emerges that the Chancellor and Mr Steinmeier may have struck a secret deal with the US to provide on-the-spot intelligence to facilitate the bombardment of Iraq and clear the way for the US-led invasion.
Read more ....
My Comment: Oh-oh ..... this is going to embarrass the Social Democrats among the left in Germany, and thereby fracture the vote.
I
The agents, who delivered targeting information for US airstrikes, are due to testify before a parliamentary commission next Thursday and, according to leaked documents published in the latest edition of Stern magazine, are likely to embarrass Mr Steinmeier, the Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor.
At the outset of the US war against Saddam in 2003, Mr Steinmeier was chief of staff to Gerhard Schröder, then the Chancellor, and in charge of co-ordinating the work of the intelligence services. Mr Schröder narrowly won the general election of 2002 with the promise that Germany would take no part in a war against Iraq — drawing the fury of the Bush Administration but also the support of many pacifist and left-of-centre voters.
Now it emerges that the Chancellor and Mr Steinmeier may have struck a secret deal with the US to provide on-the-spot intelligence to facilitate the bombardment of Iraq and clear the way for the US-led invasion.
Read more ....
My Comment: Oh-oh ..... this is going to embarrass the Social Democrats among the left in Germany, and thereby fracture the vote.
I
At the outset of the US war against Saddam in 2003, Mr Steinmeier was chief of staff to Gerhard Schröder, then the Chancellor, and in charge of co-ordinating the work of the intelligence services. Mr Schröder narrowly won the general election of 2002 with the promise that Germany would take no part in a war against Iraq — drawing the fury of the Bush Administration but also the support of many pacifist and left-of-centre voters.
Now it emerges that the Chancellor and Mr Steinmeier may have struck a secret deal with the US to provide on-the-spot intelligence to facilitate the bombardment of Iraq and clear the way for the US-led invasion.
Read more ....
My Comment: Oh-oh ..... this is going to embarrass the Social Democrats among the left in Germany, and thereby fracture the vote.
I personally believe that Germany did the right thing in 2003. The people had no appetite for war, and did not want to get involved. Like Canada, a decision was made to stick out of that conflict. The fact that info is now being made public that Germany made a secret decision to provide intel is a surprise to me ... but a good surprise in that I am sure that enemy assets were quickly targeted and destroyed in the first weeks of the invasion because of this help.
Now it emerges that the Chancellor and Mr Steinmeier may have struck a secret deal with the US to provide on-the-spot intelligence to facilitate the bombardment of Iraq and clear the way for the US-led invasion.
Read more ....
My Comment: Oh-oh ..... this is going to embarrass the Social Democrats among the left in Germany, and thereby fracture the vote.
I personally believe that Germany did the right thing in 2003. The people had no appetite for war, and did not want to get involved. Like Canada, a decision was made to stick out of that conflict. The fact that info is now being made public that Germany made a secret decision to provide intel is a surprise to me ... but a good surprise in that I am sure that enemy assets were quickly targeted and destroyed in the first weeks of the invasion because of this help.