Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Elsewhere who wrote (19768)	12/14/2003 8:02:50 AM
From: FaultLine	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793707

Babel Fish ( babelfish.altavista.com ) translation: Berlin (AP) Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder expressed its joy in a letter at US president George W. Bush over the arrest of Saddam Hussein. "I congratulate you to this successful action", was called it in the letter from Sunday. Saddam brought inexpressible wrong over its own people and the whole region. "I hope, that its arrest the efforts of the international community to the reconstruction and for the stabilization Iraq will promote."

To: Elsewhere who wrote (19768)	12/14/2003 10:26:23 AM
From: unclewest	Respond to of 793707

«Ich beglückwünsche Sie zu dieser erfolgreichen Aktion» «Ich hoffe, das seine Festnahme die Bemühungen der internationalen Gemeinschaft zum Wiederaufbau und zur Stabilisierung des Irak fördern wird.» Ausgezeichnet! Sehr Gut gesagt! Es ist doch gut zu sehen das Schröder versteht wie wichtig es wirklich ist und das er hat nichts gegen das zu sagen,

To: Elsewhere who wrote (19768)	12/14/2003 1:21:53 PM
From: Rollcast...	Respond to of 793707

Schröder congratulates Bush on Saddam capture Did he have any other options at this point? Chirac and friends will save their criticism for Saddam's trial and execution... you know, the the euro-sanctimony over the death penalty... I wonder if Saddam will spill about any back channel assistance from France and/or Germany since the first Gulf War??

To: Elsewhere who wrote (19768)	12/14/2003 1:48:42 PM
From: NickSE	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793707

German minister says U.S. troops in Iraq ill-prepared reuters.com BERLIN (Reuters) - German Defence Minister Peter Struck said on Saturday American soldiers were inadequately prepared for their current Iraq mission and need "nation building" training to help the country on the road to democracy. While lauding the battlefield abilities of the U.S. military in Iraq, Struck said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag newspaper that American forces in Iraq did not have the training and were not doing enough to prepare the country for democracy. "The U.S. soldiers are good combat troops but are not sufficiently prepared for the tasks associated with 'nation-building' -- setting up democratic and economic structures," Struck said. He said German soldiers sent to Afghanistan on a peacekeeping mission get special training. There are about 2,000 German soldiers in the 5,700-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. "They are clearly prepared for (nation-building)," Struck said. "Our soldiers that go to Kabul are schooled about the mentality and history of the country, and also know the differences between the different population groups." A total of 312 U.S. soldiers have been killed in action since U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq in March to oust Saddam Hussein, 197 of them in guerrilla attacks since President George W. Bush declared major combat over on May 1. Washington blames the attacks on Saddam supporters and foreign Islamic militants. Struck also said German troops would probably stay in Afghanistan beyond the scheduled end of the mission. "We will not be able to leave next year -- there is no end in sight." He also criticised a U.S. move to bar Iraq war opponents from reconstruction contracts while asking them to write off its debts. European leaders have urged the U.S. to reconsider the decision which opened a new transatlantic rift on Iraq. "This was not a wise decision," Struck said. He said he was optimistic a resolution could be found and welcomed Bush's move to dispatch former Secretary of State James Baker to Europe to discuss Iraq and restructuring its $120 billion of foreign debt. "James Baker has an outstanding name in Germany with his work in helping Germany reunite," Struck said. "My relations with my counterpart Donald Rumsfeld have also normalised. We're on the way towards a normalisation." Struck pointed out that even though Germany opposed the Iraq war, German soldiers have filled in for U.S. troops by guarding American bases in Germany and that there are now 2,500 German soldiers protecting U.S. installations. "We're taking a big load off of the Americans here in Germany," Struck said. He said he believed Germany's contributions were not going unnoticed by the U.S. State Department, which he said was also apparently not pleased by the decision on Iraq contracts.