Germany Will Not Support Attack on Iraq - 2002-10-30

Joschka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, is set to arrive in Washington today. It is expected that he will inform the Bush administration that Berlin will not support military action by the West against Iraq. This is the first visit by a senior German official to the U.S. since Chancellor Gerhard Schröder angered the White House last month with his public criticism of U.S. policy towards Iraq. U.S. officials say that statements from German officials have harmed bilateral relations. On the other hand, the White House says it is time for the United Nations Security Council to pass the necessary resolution and ask Iraq to cooperate with UN weapons inspectors sent to search for weapons of mass destruction. President Bush has threatened to take action against Iraq even without UN approval. Joschka Fischer stated that Washington should not prioritize the issue of Iraq in its policymaking, as this could come at the cost of losing the war on terrorism. Today, he mentioned in the German Federal Diet that keeping weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists and resolving regional conflicts is of great importance. He referred to the resolution of the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan in this context. Fischer said that Germany does not consider Iraq an international threat. He is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell tomorrow in Washington to discuss bilateral issues and international security. This is the first direct contact between senior officials from Washington and Berlin since Gerhard Schröder's re-election as Chancellor of Germany. Bilateral relations became strained during the German elections as Schröder promised not to support a U.S. attack on Iraq, and observers say that while this opposition may have contributed to Schröder's victory, it has harmed relations with Washington.