The article went on to outline the misunderstanding between Merkel and Rice over whether or not Rice had actually apologized and admitted the mistake in "kidnapping and detaining a born German national of Lebanese descent. Merkel says she did, Washington says she did not. BTW - The ACLU is assisting the "victim" in a lawsuit against the US.If US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel was meant to herald a new era of trans-Atlantic harmony, it has failed. Merkel angered US officials with her public statement that Washington admitted it had made a "mistake" by kidnapping a German national There are possible implications for a suit filed this week by the civil rights group ACLU.
...Rice's trip was meant to signal a new start for trans-Atlantic ties, but if anything, relations are worse now.
...For commentators in Germany, the US practice of "extraordinary rendition," or secretly transferring suspects to third countries, including some outside Europe that routinely use torture, reveals how far Europe and the United States have drifted apart since Sept. 11 on how much leeway secret services should have in pursuing terrorists
The former German Interior Minister claims that the US told him "nothing about CIA secret flights or secret prisons and that the issue had not been raised at joint meetings of the European Union's interior ministers."
In another article; a roundup of other German papers Der Spiegel reported:
It is hard not to hear the glee as commentators in Germany type their editorials and widely condemn the Bush administration for its involvement in the 2003 CIA abduction, and alleged torture, of Khaled al-Masri, a German national of Lebanese descent.Also in Der Spiegel in a slanderously, bitter opinion piece by Clinton hatchet-man Sidney Blumenthal entitled Condi's Trail of Lies and a fawning puff piece on Mohammed ElBaradei winner of this years Nobel Peace Prize.
The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung takes up most of its front page with a made-up CIA job ad entitled "Torturers Wanted." The "position" calls for applicants with foreign language skills in Arabic and Urdu, experience in use of electronic technology and a valid pilot's license. It offers, in return, work as part of a motivated team and private use of the firm's fleet of jets. "Job applications, together with salary expectations and earliest dates of availability should be sent to: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington." A companion front-page commentary relishes Washington's current discomfort, "in particular in view of the fact that questions (regarding torture) are being asked in America itself."
Reading all this was depressing but then later in the day I came across: NATO secretary general says Rice has cleared air by assuring allies U.S. does not allow torture
"It is my impression that Secretary Rice ... cleared the air. You will not see this discussion continuing" at the NATO headquarters, NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer told a news conference.What does all this tell us?
Who really knows? It may be that, while German press is even more anti-American than the US MSM, the politicians especially in NATO are actually somewhat on board with the war on terror. As far as ElBaradei receiving the Nobel Peace Prize; "For what?"
1 comment:
I like Rice to a certain degree and I would vote for her if it came down to a choice between Hillary or Condi, but, Rice has the same problem the Bush's have - she's actually a Liberal.
Bush, for example, was raised within the Episcopal church. He switched to the Methodist church later. Both churches are very liberal and, some would say, wishy-washy. This describes the Bush administration perfectly. There is no real conviction. Lots of rhetoric, but no conviction.
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