Libyan No-Fly Zone res. passed by UN

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Freiwillige

Germany, If England and France jumped off a bridge would you follow?

Like drugs, Just because everybody else is doing it doesn't make it cool.

Germany did not follow the madness in 2003, and right it was. It allowed to get needlessly pulled into the Afghan swamp, however. But in 2011, I think it should have been one of the forerunners amongst Europeans to lead a more aggressive policy against Lybia, and much earlier then just one week ago, because it is in our best European interest that the rebels remain a chance to kill the Gaddafi regime and -clan. I again refer to the activities of Gazproim in Lybia, and it'S attempt to eliminate the European effort to become less depending on Russian gas via Eastern pipelines. (This is also the main reason why Putin is so upset about the airstrikes, he sees his Gazprom strategy - to freeze Europe in a potentially vulnerable and depending position that leaves it prone to blackmailing - in danger).

Both situations do not compare. But still they have something in common.

Schroeder back then, maybe different from Fischer, acted on behalf of calulations aimed at the appreciation by the wide public; Schroeder - different to Fischer - has not had any idealistic reasoning, he was and is the born opportunist.

Merkel today also aimed at the wide German public's opinion. But she probabaly miscalculated it - a majority on the street, in parliament, amongst parties, and maybe even inside her own coalition and party, is against this German policy.

Westerwelle takes nothing but fire over his incompetence over here. He is easily the biggest disaster of a foreign minister Germany has ever had, not just because of this story now, but a long display of naivety and incompetence and bigmouthed attitude nevertheless. He simply does not know his stuff, and has zero linkage to the realities in his ressort.