Romanian President Says Iraq War 'Moral'

[Khephra]

BUCHAREST, Romania -- President Ion Iliescu said Tuesday the war against Iraq was "moral and legitimate" after meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who is in the country to attend a meeting of NATO defense ministers.

"Being a country that for half a century was under a totalitarian regime (we consider) the intervention in Iraq was moral and legitimate," Iliescu told reporters.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-romania-iraq-rumsfeld,0,3703826.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

[JuniorPlankton]

1. Don't forget Romania

the way you forgot Poland.

Pleeeeease, who cares about Romania???
:grr:

[russian33]

2. and after that, President Iliescu and Rumsfeld drank a toast of blood

[Javaman]

3. And just how many soldiers does this moral asshole have in iraq?

[struggle4progress]

16. Romania Might Boost Iraq Force

Politics: 12 October 2004, Tuesday.

Romania's defence minister has said that the country could send more troops to Iraq, boosting security in the country prior to the 2005 elections.

There are 700 Romanian troops currently deployed in Iraq, while Bulgaria has about 500.

Romania's Minister Ioan Mircea Pascu has said that a decision to possibly send extra forces would follow careful analysis, and needed political approval.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=40243


<edit:> The globalsecurity website indicates that none of the Romanian troops are in theater. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_orbat_coalition.htm

[Tempest]

4. "after meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld"

How much is this going to cost us?

[struggle4progress]

15. Rumsfeld: 'no timetable' for US troop bases in Romania

12 October 2004

BUCHAREST - US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declined Tuesday to state a specific timetable for the possible establishment of US military bases in Romania, Mediafax news agency reported.

A decision on a reorganisation of troop installations in Europe would be taken "on a step-by-step basis over a four, five or six-year period", Rumsfeld was quoted as saying.

Rumsfeld was speaking in Bucharest after a meeting with Romanian counterpart Ioan Mircea Pascu.

As part of a post-Cold War realignment of military installations, the US military is withdrawing significant troop numbers from bases in Germany and is understood to be considered establishing installations in eastern European countries. <snip>

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=52&story_id=12781&name=Rumsfeld%3A+'no+timetable'+for+US+troop+bases+in+Romania

[amber dog democrat]

5. Coming from a nation run by Calcescu

I find his comments interesting. I wonder how much things in Romania have changed since the fall of the previous totolitarian state.

We must have promised them something in exchange for this ringing endorsement.

[jakefrep]

6. Hmmmm....

...Didn't the Anti-Christ in the "Left Behind" novels come from Romania?

:scared:

[atreides1]

7. Ahhh Yes Romania

Became allies with Nazi Germany and then turned on their German allies when the Russians were knocking at their door, then became allies with the Soviets.

Yeah, I trust this guy about as far as I can throw a tank.

[henslee]

8. An opinion from a country that institutionalizes childhood stutterers?

And despite what Iliescu says, Roumania was twisted way before being part of the Soviet bloc. These folks fell into line so quickly behind Hilter, Nazis didn't send soldiers there, just a few advisors. They did have to send a memo once -- asking Romania to ease up on their barbaric killing methods in concentration camps. The memo said it was giving Nazis a bad name.

[amber dog democrat]

9. I wonder if they were that way before

the Ottomans came to visit?

[henslee]

11. I am of Romanian descent. My great grandmother talked about hiding in the

potato cellar for weeks from, I don't know, Kossacks? Russians? It is one screwed up area. Plenty of generational psychological damage.

[expatriot]

13. The Wars of Romania

1853-1856 Austrian Occupation of Moldavia, Wallachia
1877-1878 Russo-Ottoman War, Romania allied with Russia, declared independence
1907 Romanian Peasant Rebellion
1912-1913 Second Balkan War
1914-1918 World War I
1919 Romanian invasion of Hungary
1940-1944 World War II; Romania a reluctant Axis ally
1944-1945 World War II; Romania a reluctant Soviet ally
1991 Second Gulf War; Romania contributed to allied forces which liberated Kuwait
2003 Third Gulf War; Romania a reluctant US-British ally

[amber dog democrat]

14. I don't doubt it.

So many of the peoples in the Balken states are conditioned to hatreds running back to scores of generations.

It will take hundreds of years for things to settle down - assuming things calm down.

I wonder if there are people who miss the Austro Hungarian Empire ?

I would love to tour through Bulgaria, Romania, Moldavia and Macadonia... and AM going to see part of Slovenia this spring break. Went to Turkey last year.

Your family obviously knows something about survival. Don't lose those stories.

[henslee]

19. So how do you make Roumanian chicken soup?

Well, first you gotta steal a chicken.

[amber dog democrat]

20. Ever read about the chicken stealing ancester

from Faulkner's lIght in August ?

That was too funny.

Had a great grandfather who used to say there are 2 kinds of relatives: those you are ashamed of or are ashamed of you.

:)

[henslee]

23. i will check it out for sure, thanx.

[noonwitch]

29. Ottoman Turks? My grandpa lived in Austria/Hungary, and that was what

they were forever hiding in the cellar from. He said he saw them ride through his village once in WWI, and they were terrifying to see. They would ride these huge horses, carry their curved swords, and wear necklaces made from human ears. They would take all the young men with them (conscriptions), and the boys(I don't want to know what they did with them), if the families didn't hide them.

I'd bet the Cossacks were scary, too.

[radwriter0555]

10. Of course he did, his nation just got the postal service machine

manufacturing and automation deal for iraq, worth BILLIONS.

The romanians have been waiting for the USA to rescue them for decades... this, apparently, is their rescue.

[Claire Beth]

12. well, i'm convinced now...

if the Romanian president says it's moral, it must be!!! :eyes:

[PsychoDad]

17. That would be the voice of New Europe.

....

[tom_paine]

18. The Balkans falling behind Hitler AGAIN, it seems

Didn't they learn anything the first time?

[VegasWolf]

21. He said as he walked away with a fat envelope of bills!

[Borgnine]

22. I'm trying to hold back.

I really don't want to make a "blood-sucking vampire" joke.

[daleo]

24. So, he might not mind if the Russians occupied Romania again

Just so long as the Russian defense minister persuaded him that it was "moral".

[It was not a pretzel]

25. from a country where you can buy a slave for $200

$400 if they think you're American.

:eyes:

[ozymandius]

26. Then Iliescu should not mind if we invade these other

nations under authoritarian regimes:

Pakistan
Kazakhstan
Saudi Arabia
Libya
Mayanamar
China
...and soon... Russia

[Larkspur]

27. Sounds like Romania's leader is "Whoring for Dollars"

[Chovexani]

28. What a fucking hypocrite

The balls of this government to talk about morality when it has sanctioned institutionalized racism against the Romani population--and this is after the so-called revolution. Only the promise of EU membership and its requirements that Romania and other Eastern European countries clean up their acts regarding the treatment of the Roma in their borders has started to change things a little.

It figures he would side with the Chimp, they are willing to support freedom for everyone except the people in their own country.

[sweetheart]

30. They still think its the cold war

... and that they have to suck up to an evil foreign power to
show legitimacy.

The romanian president is corrupt, and it is no suprise that corrupt
faux-american bullshit bush is a friend in crime.

Any leverage with the EU, by touting america as "girlfriend" is
surely what Ion is going for... desperate to join the western club,
and tremendously racist against non-white middle east peoples...
its no suprise a racist war is supported by the joker and his clan.

[Cocoa]

31. Tell Ion Iliescu we're going alone!

Outta my way, Chuckie Gibson, I gotta say this, tell Alexander Kwasnewski of Poland we're going alone!