Western European News Digest
'It's Time To Get Rich' Campaign Rocks Paris
The French chapter of the Schiller Institute, the LaRouche political movement in Europe, held a high-profile day of action to hit the weak flank of the Chickenhawk international war party in France: the rotten Marc Rich-Lewis Libby connection. Marc Rich is the formerly fugitive financier (pardoned by outgoing President Clinton in 2001) and Israeli mafia bagman whose former attorney, Lewis Libby, serves as chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney. Already five French ministers, under pressure of mounting public outcry, have proposed a criminal investigation into Marc Rich's dirty and "uncivil" dealings in the case of the wrecking of the oil tanker Prestige, now polluting the Spanish and French coasts, and the fraudulent bankruptcy of the metal recycling firm Metaleurop, throwing more than 2,000 workers onto the streets. The aim of the Schiller Institute campaign is to stiffen the French government's resolve against an Iraq war, in order to make it impossible for them to retreat from that position.
In the early morning hours of Feb. 12, activities of the Schiller Institute and BueSo (the LaRouche co-thinker party in Germany) distributed 15,000 leaflets to all the appropriate sites in Paris: Quai d'Orsay Foreign Affairs, Defense Ministry, Chiefs of Staff, "Bercy" Economics Ministry, La Defense business area where Elf, Citibank, and others companies have offices; the Prime Minister's offices, the U.S. embassy, the Israeli and Lebanese embassies, etc.
The leaflet read: "WANTED: Marc Rich and his lawyer Lewis Libby, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney," "Polluter of the French Coast," "Godfather of the U.S. Chickenhawks," accompanied with their pictures and captions, "Latest hiding place: Zug, Switzerland" for Rich; and "White House, Washington D.C." for Libby. Underneath, a short curriculum vitae. "Rich: Polluter (Prestige), Financial Shark (Metaleurop), Weapons smuggler, War initiator, Raw material looter, Godfather of the Russian mafia, fugitive from U.S. justice, Moneybag of Ariel Sharon and the Likud, Pusher of the Iraq War and the Clash of Civilizations." For Lewis Libby: "Marc Rich's lawyer for 15 years; Convinced Clinton to pardon Rich; Designed the preventive war doctrine, Pusher of the Iraq war and the Clash of Civilizations; initiator of a campaign to defame France and Germany." It offers a reward as well: "First Prize: Peace; Second Prize Economic development; Third Prize Social Justice and Clean Environment."
The open confrontation with the war party is on everybody's mind, so people grabbed the leaflet eagerly. Since the leaflet looked at first glance like an advertisement, several people came back when they realized it was a political thing. Others burst out laughing when reading it. A general of the chiefs of staff jogged by saying "What about the Greeks around Rich? You only talk about Rich and Libby?" One chief of cabinet of a high-ranking socialist official was briefed for 15 minutes on the strategic flank the case offers to France. When briefed on the imperative necessity to drop the Maastricht Pact, he said, "Financial rigor is necessary, but who has the largest debt of the world? It's the U.S. And they just print money to pay that debt, and they even widen their authorized debt-limitations! To go to war. Yes, a global new deal for Europe, I fully agree, and I have to follow up on that."
A press conference followed the rally, where a special dossier was presented to ten people representing eight media, including a journalist from the economics section of Le Figaro, a young journalist from the Spanish El Pais, two journalists from the Swiss press, three from an online environmental media, one from Al-Jazeera, and one from the largest magazine for the French mayors, who is also a militant for a Jewish peace movement.
At noon, over 30 people gathered in front of Glencore France, the office of Marc Rich in Paris, near the Champs Elysee. A large banner attacking the Chickenhawks nearly blocked the busy street. The entire area was plastered with leaflets and posters.
Germany Joins France in Mooting Suspension of Maastricht Pact
Along with the French, the German government is probing options for at least a partial suspension of the Maastricht Pact. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is reported to have told the Social Democratic Party's national executive at their weekly session in Berlin Feb. 10, that he is consulting with the French government on ways to ease the budget ceilings, in order to create room for economic incentives.
Especially the Maastricht Pact's criteria for a public-sector deficit of at most 3% of GDP, cannot be maintained in this present conjunctural crisis, Schroeder said, and if one takes into account all the uncertainties implied in an Iraq war, a suspension of the Pact is required. The Brussels EU Commission has been contacted by France and Germany already.
A spokesman for EU Commission President Romano Prodi confirmed that, adding that a partial suspension is, indeed, an option to which the Commission would not object, should the economic conditions in the EU worsen in the near future.
U.S. Provoked Crisis in NATO Over Turkey; Battle Not Over Yet
On Feb. 10, in an unprecedented move, France and Belgium used their veto at the special session of the NATO Council in Brussels, concerning Turkey. Turkey, at the urging of U.S. Chickenhawks, had invoked Article IV of the NATO treaty to force a statement of joint defense. While some U.S. officials, such as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, were reportedly "apoplectic" about the French-Belgian decision, other U.S. voices, including the lead editorial of the Establishment New York Times Feb. 11, criticized the U.S. for forcing a showdown inside NATO.
French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said that such a vote was premature: "If Turkey were really under threat, France would be the first at its side. Today we don't feel that threat is there." France and Belgium also said that NATO should not be used to preempt a decision by the UN Security Council. While Germany exercised its veto, it did support the statement that the UNSC was the place to have this debate.
As of Feb. 14, the debate had not moved to the UN Security Council, where UN inspectors had just delivered their report. After the inspectors' report, France called for an intensification of inspections, and another meeting of UNSC to be held on March 15, for the next progress report.
Chancellor Schroeder Asserts 'Mandate for Peace' in Address to Parliament
German Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder, in a special address to the national parliament, asserted a "mandate for peace" among the German and European populations, in the face of growing opposition within the legislature. "We are doing our duty for peace," Schroeder began. "Together with France, Russia, and others, the Federal government is making all efforts to solve the conflict with Iraq peacefully. That is possible. That is what we are fighting for. To state this clearly and beyond doubt, to our citizens and to our American friends, is my duty as German Chancellor."
Outlining the contributions that Germany already is making, in the context of the ongoing war on terrorism in Afghanistan, East Africa, and in other places, Schroeder continued, stating that "the policy of the Federal government has always been peace policy. This applies to the reconstruction of Afghanistan as well as to our efforts, in which we must not cease, for lasting peace and security in the Middle East."
"The prime task of international policy is the prevention of war.... The exception is, notably, self-defense against an imminent armed attack, or the Security Council-mandated defense against an imminent, grave threat to international peace." Schroeder added that a driving force for this development had been the United States, for example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. "The core of this process is the principle to put the strength of law in the place of the right of the stronger."
The monopoly for decisions on war or peace must remain with the UNSC, Schroeder said, adding that recent inspections in Iraq have been successful. "As we have emphasized in our Joint Declaration with France and Russiawhich is backed by China and is on the line of more members of the Security Councilwhat must be done in this phase is to tap all options for a peaceful solution to this conflict. The inspections must be continued and expanded." Schroeder added that such processes may take a long time, but the peaceful end of the Cold War in Europe proves that peaceful approaches pay off.
Being against the war does not mean appeasement, the German Chancellor added, presenting five points of policy, including a "no" to any military "automatism" in Resolution 1441, and reiterating the commitment to reach "arms control and stability in the entire region," not just in Iraq. Schroeder also made explicit reference to the pro-inspections proposals made by French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin in New York Feb. 5, reiterating Germany's commitment to provide an expanded inspections regime with all the means required.
Are 'Pro-Americans' Going To Overthrow German Chancellor?
German Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder, one of the leaders of the European resistance to an Iraq war, is facing a challenge to his leadership at home. The internal German controversy is visibly escalating, with a move by the opposition Christian Democrats and Free Democrats to call for a special parliamentary session, on Germany's Feb. 10 NATO Council veto of U.S. efforts to begin pre-war planning against Iraq, in Turkey. The Patriot missile issue is another aspect.
Two leading CSU politicians have poured even more fuel into the heated debate: Michael Glos, member of the national parliament, is quoted in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Feb. 12, as calling for the instant removal from office of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. And Edmund Stoiber, State Governor of Bavaria and former Chancellor candidate of the Christian Democrats in 2002, demanded that the Parliament "correct," by a plenary vote, the government's Brussels NATO veto. Stoiber's remark that the opposition would "exploit all parliamentary venues" to achieve this "correction," has prompted rumors that a no-confidence vote is on the agenda.
The main hurdle against such an overthrow of Schroeder is the fact that the opposition needs five deputies out of the government majority, to have an absolute majority of 302 votes to vote him out.
Opposition Fails in Vote To Oust Schroeder
The SPD-Green majority of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder stood firm in votes on two opposition motions in the national parliament Feb. 13, voting them down. One motion attacked the Iraq policy of Schroeder, demanding that he retract his veto on the Turkish issue at the NATO Council. The second motion demanded that Schroeder sign the "Gang of 8" (smaller European countries) letter in support of the U.S. buildup against Iraq.
With only four votes over the absolute majority, the SPD-Green majority over the opposition is very thin and shaky, but opposition leader and CDU national party chairwoman Angela Merkel does have a problem: Several of her own party members have signed on to a "dissident" letter in support of the Vatican against Bush. That letter even explicitly urges Chancellor Schroeder to follow the Pontiff in his efforts to prevent a war. On the issue of war or peace, Merkel is not in full control of her party.
Iraqi Prime Minister in Rome Meets with Pope
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz met with Pope John Paul II for almost 30 minutes Feb. 14, and had a longer meeting with Cardinal Sodano and Monsignor Tauran. At the end of the meetings, Vatican spokesman Joacquin Navarro-Valls reported that Aziz ensured that "Iraq wants to collaborate with the international community, in particular, on the issue of disarmament." The Pope, according to Navarro-Valls, asked Aziz to respect "faithfully, with concrete commitments, the UNSC resolutions, guarantors of international legality."
Observers note that the Pope has thus indicated that the UN, the U.S., Europe, and the rest of the world must take such collaboration into account, or they must take full responsibility, should a war begin.
After his meetings in the Vatican, Aziz met Italian Foreign Minister Frattini. Aziz, who is a Christian, is expected to attend a religious ceremony in Assisi Feb. 16.
On Feb. 13, Aziz met Lombardia regional Governor Roberto Formigoni. After the meeting, Formigoni was interviewed on a TV talk show, and said that Aziz brought some "new elements" which make him hope for a peaceful solution.
German Foreign Minister Also Met the Pope
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer met Pope John Paul II and Cardinals Tauran and Sodano Feb. 7 in Rome. Both sides agreed on the necessity of strengthening the role of UN inspectors in Iraq, and of giving them "all the time necessary," as inspections are "the most important instrument" to reach peace. After the meeting, Fischer stated: "We have a deep, common preoccupation over the war in Iraq. My interlocutors were interested in knowing the various positions on [U.S. Secretary of State Colin] Powell's [Feb. 5] report in order to study the situation."
Italian Archbishop Rejects Powell's 'Evidence'; Reveals Body Bags Stored at NATO Base
The head of Justitia et Pax, Archbishop Renato Martino, in an interview to appear in the next issue of the monthly magazine 30 Days, said: "There is no clear and evident demonstration that Iraq is among those responsible for international terrorism, nor that it possesses weapons of mass destruction, such as to constitute an imminent danger for humanity."
Martino also revealed that, "during the first days of February, at the military airport of Sigonellathe NATO base near Catania, Sicily100,000 body bags and 6,000 coffins have been delivered." The consequences of an attack against Iraq, Martino said, will be felt also in the USA, but "the American people will realize only afterwards, when they see the coffins of their loved ones returning home." Martino expressed appreciation for the anti-war demonstrations in the United States, and said that, although the Pope is "no pacifist," he is "in harmony" with the many Catholics and men of good will who publicly demonstrate for peace. "If the situation requires it, Martino does not exclude travelling to Washington and Baghdad, as special envoy of the Pope.
Blair Government Blackmails Berlusconi on Iraq War
According to Italian media, the Vatican is disappointed with the pro-Washington turn of Italian foreign policy. Meanwhile, new details have been published giving a hint of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's role turning Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi around.
It seems that, before the infamous declaration of the "Eight Dwarves" (the eight smaller European countries who have been pressured into joining a war "coalition"), Berlusconi's legal situation had suddenly worsened, as the Corte di Cassazione refused to move his corruption trial out of Milan. Prosecutors therefore had a green light to interrogate a key witness, a British subject named David Mills, who allegedly built Berlusconi's offshore holdings. It has now been revealed that Mills is the husband of Tessa Jowell, Minister of Culture in Blair's Cabinet.
However, on Feb. 5, when prosecutors arrived in Londonafter the Eight Dwarves statementMills was suddenly no longer a witness. A British court informed them that there is now an ongoing investigation of Mills for the same alleged crimes with which Berlusconi is charged, and therefore Mills cannot be a witness against himself. Mills' lawyers say their client will announce within a month whether he will serve as a witness or not, thus holding the sword of Damocles over Berlusconi.
|