Our Allies... the Germans

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove Why would it bother with Camel pox, or is ti that what Iraq actually has is the Camel pox virus, which it may be trying to render into something that infects humans?

Camel pox has indentical culture and hadling charactoeristic to small pox. To develope safe and effective mothed of hadling, growing, manufacturing, and weponizing smallpox weapons, you experiment and practice on camelpox, which does not not kill you own ass when screw up or try the wrong technique.

[HershOstropoler]

So the german government knows that Iraq might have a stock of smallpox virus. This leads to a lot of gloating here... because ?

Ming:

"One is anti war because he is against war without justification, and the other two feel the justification is there. But you can accept the german chancellor, but not the other two.
THEY ARE ALL DOING THE SAME THING..."

So Bush and Blair IYO do not believe in the reasons they give for the war?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by HershOstropoler
So the german government knows that Iraq might have a stock of smallpox virus. This leads to a lot of gloating here... because ?

If the story is true, why clamor for a smoking gun they already know exists?

[HershOstropoler]

Because the question whether it is true should be subject to verification, eg by the inspectors in Iraq ? Or do you think the BND has definite proof?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by HershOstropoler
Because the question whether it is true should be subject to verification, eg by the inspectors in Iraq ?

If that's true, why hide the information if the facts of the article are correct?

[CerberusIV]

Originally posted by Ming


Typical... All three are claiming the moral high ground to justify their actions. One is anti war because he is against war without justification, and the other two feel the justification is there. But you can accept the german chancellor, but not the other two.

THEY ARE ALL DOING THE SAME THING...

So I think your biases are showing

There is one tiny difference. Bush and Blair genuinely believe they are morally justified. That worries me as to how far they are prepared to go. It isn't a big step from 'we will save them' to 'we will kill them to save them' Schroeder is just being a politician and will say whatever it takes to stay in power and so is influenced by public opinion.

[Ming]

There must be a reason WHY they are buying Millions and Millions small pox vaccinations. That's not something you do without proof

[GePap]

That surprising article and all the info about it appeared in the NYTimes about 2 weeks ago: were have you people been?

I find it so amussing that all of a sudden, this becomes proof of German perfidity. Has anyone in Europe claimed that Saddam doesn't have WMD? Please, someone bring up the quote were the German government has stated that they don't think Iraq has WMD: I would like to see it.

Some of you are thick. Let me put it simply: there are many of us who do not think war is necessary, no matter how many WMD Saddam has: again, let me repeat, so you understand: Knowing that Saddam has WMD, some of us don't think the war is necessary.

Do I need to say it a third time?

[CerberusIV]

Smallpox is a credible threat, regardless of source, so governments need to be seen to respond.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by GePap
Has anyone in Europe claimed that Saddam doesn't have WMD?

There is the German/French cry for a "smoking gun." That is wholly unrelated to your and to a lesser extent my objections toward the upcoming war.

[HershOstropoler]

"If that's true, why hide the information if the facts of the article are correct?"

I don't understand the question. The information, whatever it is exactly, got out via the Bundestag. The intelligence details are of course not released. And what "facts" are correct?

"There must be a reason WHY they are buying Millions and Millions small pox vaccinations. That's not something you do without proof"

Most governments have been doing this, based on a possibility, not a certainty. You never plan for the worst case scenario until you're sure about it?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by HershOstropoler
I don't understand the question.

The German government suppressed evidence of small pox virus arsenals in Iraq for months, fearing such news could undermine Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder's re-election campaign

Why hide the information if it must be confirmed by inspectors?

[Ming]

The point here is that the Euro's have been asking for the smoking gun, and they already had it. Germany seems to think it's such a credible threat, they are desperate to buy 100 million vaccinations... And they didn't bother to tell anybody for political reasons.

Sad... so very sad...

[HershOstropoler]

The whole re-election argument is strange. Saddam has the trust of about 1 % of the german population, so I fail to see how this would have influenced public opinion - be it definite proof, or just evidence pointing to the possibility.

[GePap]

This is a smoking gun? Again, this "news" made the paper two weeks ago: if it were a smoking gun, would not Powell have included it in his report? I mean, if the press can find out about it, you would think the CIA would...or hope they would. If thgis were a smoking gun, the Bush admin. would be all over it.

These guys are Germans.. what ever happened to the stereotye of the fastidiuos German bureocrat? I guess only some stereotypes are worth mentioning at a time.

And of course, if the Germans see such a huge threat from Iraq, why no mass sale of Gasmasks-after all, the chemical threat is a vastly more real one.