Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- [To the new model, though, the Balkans are in fact worth the life of a Pomeranian grenadier. And more. But then certain military refinements have occurred in Germany since Blut und Eisen's time. The war-mad super-militarist Fischer - note - always and everywhere promotes the role of NATO, never the UN or even the EU as guarantor of alleged peace in the Balkans. If someone had regained consciousness after being in a coma for ten years and awoke to this - that an aggressive and expanding military bloc without any pretense of an adversary to defend itself against had become *the* uncontested political force in Europe and beyond - what would that person's response be? Assuming he or she was sane?] Wednesday August 29, 8:17 PM German FM urges sending troops to help prevent civil war in Macedonia BERLIN, Aug 29 (AFP) - Germany's parliament is expected to give strong support Wednesday for sending German troops to join NATO's arms collection operation in Macedonia after Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer gave assurances that the mission would be kept to "prevention, not peacekeeping". Fischer told parliament that there would be "no mission creep" beyond the 30-day mandate for the German troops and made it clear that Germany must meet its responsibilities as a loyal NATO ally in order to avoid civil war in Macedonia. Opposition from both within Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's centre-left government and from conservatives to the mission had threatened to hand Schroeder a setback ahead of general elections next year. But promises of extra money for it defused the opposition and cleared the way for what is expected to be a vote later Wednesday of broad backing for the deployment. "Prevention not peacekeeping is our task in Macedonia," Fischer told the lower house, the Bundestag. "On today's decision depends whether developments in Macedonia turn towards war or peace," he addded. Fischer said that while NATO troops had brought an end to war in Bosnia and Kosovo, they were trying to stop a full-scale one from breaking out in Macedonia by disarming ethnic Albanian rebels. Addressing concerns expressed not only by the conservative opposition but even by some in Schroeder's Social Democrat (SPD) party and in the junior coalition partner the Greens, Fischer maintained: "There will be no mission creep," in the NATO deployment. He said there was a threat of civil war in Macedonia between government forces and ethnic Albanian rebels that could have unforseen consequences for the Balkans. The "only exit strategy from the crisis" is the long-term commitment of European nations to the peace process, Fischer said. Former defense minister Volker Ruehe, speaking for the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told parliament that the NATO mandate for the deployment was "unusually weak and not really honest, and this is something our soldiers should know." Ruehe said the soldiers would probably be in Macedonia longer than 30 days and would probably not be able to count on the peaceful and full cooperation of both sides. It was not clear if the government would get a majority from its SPD and Greens parties as some 20 Social Democrat deputies and five Greens may vote against the deployment. But with the decision Tuesday of the opposition Christian Union parties to support the deployment the outcome is not in doubt. CDU chief Angela Merkel's decision was a sharp turnaround from her previous stand against deployment. Political analysts said it had diminished her stature as the conservative leader, especially since she had been taking her party against its long-standing position of close ties to the West and loyalty to NATO. Schroeder has promised to increase funding for the mission from 120 million marks to 148 million marks (74 million euros, 68 million dollars) in response to complaints that the intervention would put too heavy a burden on the defence budget. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
