In an interview last month (Die WELT, “Der Kalte Krieg ist vorbei”, 24. Februar 2007) German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said his (in my view critical) remarks on the U. S. missile defense shield had not been about criticizing “this or that partner”. Now I wonder how he would qualify his own article in “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”, 18 March, 2007, titled “We don’t want a new arms race” - Approval?
Excerpts:
Following the decline of the Soviet Union and the loss of its status as a world power, Russia is searching for a new role.
Isn`t that putting things nicely?
And the sole remaining superpower, America, is realizing that military superiority alone can bring about neither friendship nor peace.
Who in the U. S. ever believed this?
First, the United States believes that it is entitled to protect itself from Iranian long-range missiles. That is a legitimate concern, even if such weapons do not yet exist.
How generous!
Second, we cannot allow a missile defence system to be either a reason or a pretext for a new arms race. No military defence system, however sophisticated it may be, can guarantee 100-percent protection. Our top priority therefore remains disarmament, not rearmament. We don’t want a new arms race in Europe!
Well, I am no military expert, but I would think that a defense system is a defensive system not meant to attack other countries. And is he really telling us: When you can`t have 100 % protection you do not even try to get 90 %?
Third, neither NATO nor the EU can afford to allow the necessary open debate to divide them. There is no “old” and “new” Europe, and no one should try to sow such seeds of discord for short-term gains. Europe’s security is indivisible. We increasingly want to take it into our own hands, without weakening the historic transatlantic defence alliance.
Is Steinmeier implying the US are actively trying to split Europe? Is he implying also that Poland and the Czech Republic do not have the right to see things differently? Is the German Foreign Minister telling them to “Shut up and do what we want them to do”? Thus yet another expression of “old Europe`s“ arrogance?
Fourth, we have to strive to make Iran accept its international responsibility. (…) I would like to see an Iran that invests in laptops for its girls and boys instead of in long-range missiles.
Who would disagree? But more importantly who tells Ahmadinejad?
A lot of questions, but I assure you, none of them is about criticising this or that German Foreign Minister …
At the end of his article Steinmeier lances an appeal to Iran that is definitely going to touch Ahmadinejad`s heart:
I urgently appeal to the leadership in Tehran to turn their back on nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, and to do so in a way that can be verified! That will give all parties confidence and security.
And we will all live happily ever after …