Further US Displeasure Over German Stance Deutsche Welle September 6, 2002 When George Bush takes his case for action against Iraq to the UN and selected world leaders, Chancellor Schröder, won't be among those consulted. The German leader has angered Washington with his recent criticism. President Bush has signalled that he is prepared to back a last ditch ultimatum regarding the return of weapons inspectors and will address the UN general assembly next week. In what is seen as Saddam Hussein's last chance to avoid war, the UN speech will be part of a sequence of steps the Bush administration will take to prepare world leaders for seemingly imminent military action. German Chancellor excluded from critical meetings Bush will meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Camp David on Saturday for a "war summit" and make calls to security council members France, Russia and China as part of a new diplomatic offensive by the US government in rallying support for an attack on Iraq. But one prominent name missing from the list of leaders being consulted is Germany's Gerhard Schröder. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has changed tack since his September 11th speech.Chancellor Schröder, who has already made a central election campaign issue of German neutrality in any U.S.-led attack, hardened the German position this week by branding the U.S. goal of toppling the Iraqi dictator "a mistake." "It is the change in (the U.S.) objective that is the mistake," Schröder said on Germany's RTL television channel on Tuesday. "If somebody is supposed to be removed with military intervention, you can hardly convince him to let inspectors into his country." Schröder's firm anti-war stance in the Iraq crisis have been interpreted as defiantly anti-American across the big pond and by influential Americans within Europe. US ambassador speaks out again on German policy US ambassador Dan Coats has harsh words for his German hosts.The US ambassador in Berlin, Daniel Coats, reiterated his displeasure with the Schröder's stance this week. In an interview with the German wire service dpa, Coats called the decision "rash" and said that "the current politics of the government isolates Germany from the main direction of opinion, even inside the European Union." Last month, during discussions between Coats, German Chancellery Chief of Staff Frank Walter and security policy adviser Dieter Kastrup, the ambassador said he had expressed American displeasure at the words chosen by Chancellor Schroeder in the days leading up to, and those following, the official launch of his re-election campaign. Washington found the Chancellor's accusation of "adventurism" with regard to Iraq policy inappropriate. Coats also said he did not rule the possiblity that Schröder's comments were a populistic appeal to win badly-needed re-election votes among war-hesitant Germans. It is a charge Schröder firmly denies. Rift between allies widens The foreign policy rift between Germany and the United States has visibly widened in recent weeks. Tweaking his post-September 11th pledge of 'unlimited solidarity', Schroeder announced last month that Germany would not participate in an attack on Iraq without a UN mandate. "Friendship cannot mean that you do what the friend wants even if you have another opinion,'' he told a news conference in Berlin. "Anything else would not be friendship, but submission - and I would consider that wrong.'' A week later Schröder upped the ante, saying German troops would not join an attack even with a UN mandate. Europe undecided on all but UN involvement The reluctance to pitch in with America is widespread in Europe. Although other leaders have yet to take a stand as strong as Chancellor Schröder, many are voicing concern and the need to work together through the United Nations. Denmark, holders of the EU's rotating presidency, insisted that Iraq must obey UN resolutions and that unilateral action must be avoided. Speaking at the earth summit in Johannesburg, the Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said that "It is vitally important to pursue the UN track." This view was echoed by Chris Patten, the British European Commissioner for external relations when he told the European parliament in Strasbourg that "We should all respect the authority of the United Nations and of international law." Javier Solana, the EU's representative for foreign and security policy, added his weight to the argument by saying in the Berliner Zeitung newspaper that it would be a big mistake for the United States to tackle Iraq alone and that trying to force a new order in the Middle East by military action is "a badly thought-out idea". British PM does 'not speak for Europe' Happier days: Blair and Schroeder are at odds over Iraq. British Prime Minister Tony Blair remains the staunchest proponent in Europe of US military action against Hussein. Blair has promised in the coming weeks to release a report on the danger Hussein's supply of chemical and biological weapons present to the world. But Schröder emphasized Blair was a lone voice in Europe and didn't speak for the majority. "With all respect for Tony Blair: Just like anyone else, he will not speak for Europe alone on this issue or on others,'' the Chancellor said. "We have absolutely no reason to change our well-founded position. Under my leadership, Germany will not take part in an intervention in Iraq.'' Elsewhere in Europe, leaders are preparing to take sides. In Spain and Italy, instinctively pro-American conservative leaders Jose Maria Aznar and Silvio Berlusconi are considered unlikely to break ranks with the broad EU consensus. And non-Nato EU neutrals Sweden, Austria, Finland and Ireland are expected to come down firmly on the dovish side of any argument in the coming days. Original Source Location: http://dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1430_A_624029_1_A,00.html