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Schroeder Shifts Gears, Backs Hussein's Ouster April 4, 2003 BERLIN -- For the first time, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called for the removal of Saddam Hussein in a speech to parliament Thursday, dropping his objection to regime change as a goal of the war with Iraq. The turnaround marked a significant attempt to patch up differences within Europe as attention turns to rebuilding a post-Hussein Iraq. "We all hope that the earliest possible end to the war will keep the number of victims as low as possible," Schroeder said. "And we hope that through the defeat of the dictatorship, the Iraqi people can realize its hopes of a life in peace, freedom and self-determination as soon as possible." Germany firmly opposed the war, joining France and Russia in diplomatic efforts against any UN resolution that would have authorized force, arguing peaceful means to disarm Iraq had not been exhausted. Schroeder has condemned regime change as a war aim--but Germany avoided the French predicament of having to declare that it hoped the U.S.-led coalition would win the war after remarks interpreted as rallying for an American loss. Polls indicate more than four-fifths of Germans view the war as unjustified. Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer signaled Germany's acceptance of regime change before meeting with his British counterpart, Jack Straw, in Berlin on Wednesday night. Britain, joined by Italy, Spain and many Eastern European countries, have backed the U.S. conviction that Iraq would never disarm voluntarily. Still, some German officials said developments in the war demonstrate that worries about the conflict were justified. "We are very concerned by the reaction in the Arab and Islamic world, and this reaction confirms our bad predictions" before the war, said Ludger Volmer, a Fischer associate. In his speech to parliament, Schroeder maintained the German position that war could have been averted through peaceful disarmament supervised by UN weapons inspectors. However, he said the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Iraq necessitated the speedy installation of a new regime in Baghdad--one shaped by the UN. Schroeder outlined requirements for a "just and democratic postwar order in Iraq and the whole region," stressing that the country's territorial integrity must remain untouched and its political sovereignty be "fully restored."
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To view the Boycott Network’s “Super Index” of boycott information hosted on this website, click HERE |
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Due to the extensive scope and breath of coverage pertaining to the power grab of the “Franco-German Axis,” the Boycott Network recommends use of their special subject index by clicking HERE |
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