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Long story short: Schroeder -- three months before a re-election vote -- came to the US to meet with Bush and to ask for US support for Germany joining the UN Security Council as a permanent member.
Why did he even make the trip? Schroeder previously got re-elected as an anti-US demagogue and now he wants respect from the US? He must have known the answer before coming here -- in so many words, it was "not only no, but hell no" (said very politely). Did this gain him anything with the domestic audience?
More broadly, I don't know how another European permanent membership on the Security Council can be justified and indeed I would suggest it already has too much representation. Definitely Japan. Maybe India. Probably not Brazil at this time. No way in hell any African countries.
Specifically, Germany doesn't spend enough on its military to be taken seriously in the Security Council. It's not hefty enough of a country. This is a choice that the German people have made (and was made for them, previously) which precludes joining.
Why did he even make the trip? Schroeder previously got re-elected as an anti-US demagogue and now he wants respect from the US? He must have known the answer before coming here -- in so many words, it was "not only no, but hell no" (said very politely). Did this gain him anything with the domestic audience?
More broadly, I don't know how another European permanent membership on the Security Council can be justified and indeed I would suggest it already has too much representation. Definitely Japan. Maybe India. Probably not Brazil at this time. No way in hell any African countries.
Specifically, Germany doesn't spend enough on its military to be taken seriously in the Security Council. It's not hefty enough of a country. This is a choice that the German people have made (and was made for them, previously) which precludes joining.
U.S. response vague in German bid for council
U.S. only supports entry of Japan in Security Council
NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder urged the United States to support his country's bid for a seat on the U.N.nited Nations Security Council but left with just a glimmer of hope from President Bush.
"We oppose no country's bid for the Security Council," Bush said as the two wrapped up a meeting Monday in the Oval Office. What he didn't say is that currently the United States only supports one country that wants to join - Japan.
Schroeder, facing tough re-election prospects back home, grasped Bush's lukewarm response as a reason for hope. Schroeder said there might be differences between the United States and Germany on the timing of expanding the Security Council. "But I was very pleased, indeed, to hear that there was no opposition vis-Ã -vis Germany, as such, from the president," he said.
Currently, there are five permanent members of the Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia - all of whichwhom have the power to block any resolution with a veto. Additionally, there are now 10 nonpermanent seats, rotating for two-year terms on a staggered, regional basis.
Germany has been working with India, Japan and Brazil to try to encourage expansion to 25. But the United States has expressed concern that so many members could make the council less effective and has said it could likely support the addition of only about one other member besides Japan.
U.S.-German relations were strained over Germany's opposition to the Iraq war. Schroeder ran for re-election in 2002 on an anti-war platform; Bush pointedly refused to offer the traditional congratulations to Schroeder on his victory.
Diplomatic tensions between Berlin and Washington worsened when Germany joined France and Russia to block a U.N. resolution seeking authorization for the war and repeatedly refused to send German troops to Iraq.
But the tone was much more polite when the two leaders were sitting together.
They discussed European negotiations with Iran's incoming president over its uranium enrichment program. On Sunday, Iran's ultraconservative President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed to restart the program, saying his country needs peaceful nuclear technology for energy, medical and agricultural purposes.
The United States alleges the program is aimed at building atomic weapons, and Bush told Schroeder that they must send a unified message that "a process which would enable Iran to develop a nuclear weapon is unacceptable."
During the flight from Berlin to Washington, Schroeder seemed to acknowledge Iran's rights to develop nuclear energy, saying Tehran cannot be barred from peaceful use, "even though some might not like that." But said he said agreed with Bush's hard-line stance when the two were together in the Oval Office.
"We're going to continue being tough and firm on all of that," Schroeder said. "The message must stay very crystal clear, and it is."
With election-year pressure rising at home, Schroeder shortened his visit to the United States by one day, eliminating a trip to California. His Social Democratic party lags 17 percentage points behind the conservative opposition in the latest polls.
Both leaders laughed when a German reporter asked if Bush wished Schroeder luck. Bush said they did not discuss the election.
"The chancellor is a seasoned political campaigner. And if there's elections, I'm confident he knows what he's going to do out there.
"As we say in Texas, this won't be his first rodeo," he said.
U.S. only supports entry of Japan in Security Council
NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder urged the United States to support his country's bid for a seat on the U.N.nited Nations Security Council but left with just a glimmer of hope from President Bush.
"We oppose no country's bid for the Security Council," Bush said as the two wrapped up a meeting Monday in the Oval Office. What he didn't say is that currently the United States only supports one country that wants to join - Japan.
Schroeder, facing tough re-election prospects back home, grasped Bush's lukewarm response as a reason for hope. Schroeder said there might be differences between the United States and Germany on the timing of expanding the Security Council. "But I was very pleased, indeed, to hear that there was no opposition vis-Ã -vis Germany, as such, from the president," he said.
Currently, there are five permanent members of the Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia - all of whichwhom have the power to block any resolution with a veto. Additionally, there are now 10 nonpermanent seats, rotating for two-year terms on a staggered, regional basis.
Germany has been working with India, Japan and Brazil to try to encourage expansion to 25. But the United States has expressed concern that so many members could make the council less effective and has said it could likely support the addition of only about one other member besides Japan.
U.S.-German relations were strained over Germany's opposition to the Iraq war. Schroeder ran for re-election in 2002 on an anti-war platform; Bush pointedly refused to offer the traditional congratulations to Schroeder on his victory.
Diplomatic tensions between Berlin and Washington worsened when Germany joined France and Russia to block a U.N. resolution seeking authorization for the war and repeatedly refused to send German troops to Iraq.
But the tone was much more polite when the two leaders were sitting together.
They discussed European negotiations with Iran's incoming president over its uranium enrichment program. On Sunday, Iran's ultraconservative President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed to restart the program, saying his country needs peaceful nuclear technology for energy, medical and agricultural purposes.
The United States alleges the program is aimed at building atomic weapons, and Bush told Schroeder that they must send a unified message that "a process which would enable Iran to develop a nuclear weapon is unacceptable."
During the flight from Berlin to Washington, Schroeder seemed to acknowledge Iran's rights to develop nuclear energy, saying Tehran cannot be barred from peaceful use, "even though some might not like that." But said he said agreed with Bush's hard-line stance when the two were together in the Oval Office.
"We're going to continue being tough and firm on all of that," Schroeder said. "The message must stay very crystal clear, and it is."
With election-year pressure rising at home, Schroeder shortened his visit to the United States by one day, eliminating a trip to California. His Social Democratic party lags 17 percentage points behind the conservative opposition in the latest polls.
Both leaders laughed when a German reporter asked if Bush wished Schroeder luck. Bush said they did not discuss the election.
"The chancellor is a seasoned political campaigner. And if there's elections, I'm confident he knows what he's going to do out there.
"As we say in Texas, this won't be his first rodeo," he said.
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