Merkel rules out military option for dealing with Iran (Germany)

[TexasLawyer]

Merkel rules out military option for dealing with Iran

4 September 2006

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has underlined there can be "no military option" for dealing with Iran's nuclear programme, a spokesman said Monday.

"The door for negotiations remains open," said chief German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm. Wilhelm added: "The chancellor has expressed the view that there is no military option."

US President George W. Bush has repeatedly said he does not rule out any option for dealing with Iran's nuclear programme, which is widely believed to be aimed at building nuclear weapons.

Iran rejects this and says its uranium enrichment is for peaceful purposes. Tehran refused to comply
with a United Nations directive that it cease uranium enrichment by August 31.

<snip>

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=52&story_id=32784&name=Merkel+rules+out+military+option+for+dealing+with+Iran

[bahrbearian]

1. You'd have thought the the neck rub would have put her at ease

with chimpys war mongering

[Gregorian]

4. Damnit. I tried hard to forget that!

Bush is so far to the right of the world's conservatives. It's embarrassing that Merkel would even have to make a statement.

[bahrbearian]

5. I'm suprised he didn't come up behind her and start twisting her arm

[Charlie Brown]

2. those crooked yur-o-pien appeasers

I can't wait to start hearing about Germany's "secret oil contracts" with Tehran, and how Merkel has ties to Iran's government, a-la Fox News.

[tocqueville]

8. beer-drinking surrender krauts ? nt

[TexasLawyer]

19. LOL!!!

Good one!

[habitual]

3. W has to convince as many of the dumb sheep in this country

that we should go this alone (with Israel) against Iran.

Cuz the rest of the world ain't buyin it.

[ConcernedCanuk]

9. Problem is - there's TOO MANY "dumb sheep" in your country . . .

.
.
.

and then there's that other crowd that will support whatever gets them the "best" lifestyle

Millionaire CEO's getting better tax breaks than your average hard working man or woman.

Your government is BOUGHT,

in one way or another

it ain't elected.

[unblock]

6. get ready for "freedom shepards" and "freedom measles"....

:evilgrin:

[Benhurst]

7. I guess Bush will have to feel her out as to what should be the

move.

[Hav]

10. .

I'm not really sure, but wasn't that similar to Schröder's position for which she critizied him and argued that it took the pressure off of Saddam? They even accused him of making the war more likely by this decision.
I understand that Iraq and Iran are different, yet I would say that her stance on why the military option against Iraq should have not been ruled out still applies.

[saltpoint]

11. Dear Tony Blair. See? This is how it's done. You just tell the little

puke 'NO.' Love, Angela.

[Charlie Brown]

12. The weird thing is, Merkel is the "conservative"

and Blair is from the center-left Labor Party.

[saltpoint]

14. Hi, Charlie Brown. Yep. You're right. It's a strange component and

still has me scratching my head.

I'm glad Merkel stood up to Bush. She seems to have a better world vision than Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, PNAC, etc.

[kineneb]

16. US conservatives vs. European conservatives

There is quite a difference now. At one time, they were about at the same place in philosophy. But the conservative "movement" in the US has been taken over by what are considered right-wing reactionaries by Europeans.

The modern GOP is somewhere far to the right of any of Germany's majority parties, including Merkel's CDU/CSU. The GOP ideology is closest to the NDP, successor of the disbanded German Empire Party, which polls at about 1.6%. All the other parties besides the CDU/CSU in the Bundestag are "left-of-center", which means far left in the US.

[dipsydoodle]

17. Don't think you can cross relate

political party "names" across borders.

[whosinpower]

13. Iran did sign the nuclear nonproliferation treaty didn't they?

Just asking......
because there is another middle eastern nation that already HAS nuclear weapons - that has refused to sign the nuclear nonproliferation treaty......
and has invaded a neighbor......
kidnaps people, holds them indefinately without charge.....
tortures.....
disregards the UN......

[bronxiteforever]

15. Thanks Germany!

saving America from itself. :applause:

[Theduckno2]

18. Bush is wondering who he has to talk to, to get Chancellor Merkel fired.

You know, just like he may have done to Foreign Sec'y Snow.

Sec'y Rumsfeld will probably lump Chancellor Merkel in with the Neville Chamberlin (sp) appeasement crowd, the nitwit he is.