David Warren thinks that Schroeder may have just supplied the Americans with a good excuse to move unneeded troops out of Germany:
Now, paradoxically, while members of the Bush administration are publicly angry with, and hostile to, the Schroeder government, and intend to remain so for a long time, they are secretly pleased with Schroeder's victory.
...
Suddenly and conveniently, at a time when U.S. resources are much needed elsewhere, the Schroeder government has provided the Americans with an excuse to pack up and leave.
The Germans may be as surprised as the Saudi Arabians were, to discover how mobile the U.S. forces have become. For within several months of the Saudi government's suggestion that the U.S. might not be allowed to use its air and command facility at Prince Sultan air base, the Americans had, without any publicity, pulled up pegs and moved most of its operations to Qatar. I am reliably informed that important German-based U.S. command functions and even standby bombers had already been transferred to England and elsewhere, during the German election, to reduce exposure to any Schroeder political stunt.
With the election now decided, the U.S. has a further interest in making the Germans pay a heavy price for Mr. Schroeder's anti-American posturing; for in the present state of the world, the U.S. can no longer afford to indulge unreliable allies...I would expect to see further transfers of U.S. facilities to the territory of such new NATO members as Poland and the Czech Republic, where they will be gratefully received. The U.S. will seize the opportunity to disengage from Cold War obligations in Europe, and re-engage along post-9/11 lines.
http://www.davidwarrenonline.com/Comment/Sept02/index90.shtml |
