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German
Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin
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BERLIN,
September 22 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The statement made by
German Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin regarding U.S. President
George W. Bush and Adolf Hitler did not please the head of the
government, Gerhard Schroeder.
The
statement, made few hours before Germans went to cast their ballots, was
a risky one, particularly that the hardline rival for the chancellor’s
position was not only known for being close to decision-makers in
Washington but he also picked up that statement and warned of “that
woman who defame Germany”, Quds Press news agency reported.
The
fact of the matter is that “Bush wants to get rid of his internal
political troubles. It is a good way and Hitler did it too”. That was
the statement made by the Justice Minster to Schwaebisches Tagblatt
magazine last Thursday, September 19, flaring troubles between
Washington and Berlin.
Although
the statement of Daeubler-Gmelin was not made on the right time
according to Schroeder, it had positive repercussions among anti-U.S.
circles. The mere link between Bush and Hitler in one phrase is enough
to turn all against the U.S. administration ever since September 11.
Fleischer
soon expressed White House anger at the news coming from Berlin.
“I’d like to say that I was informed of the Berlin news to the
effect that the German Justice Minister had compared President Bush’s
actions to those of Hitler,” Fleischer said.
While
Fleischer told journalists on Thursday that “the U.S. and Germany had
strong and valuable relationships and that the relationship between both
peoples is of great importance to the Americans.” He said that such a
statement is defamatory and inexplicable.
Reactions
of U.S. political circles included a call for the return of U.S.
soldiers from the military bases in the Federal Republic.
Edmund
Stoiber, the Christian Democratic rival of Schroeder, and a U.S. ally,
said the latter must apologize to Bush.
Daeubler-Gmelin’s
statements coming exactly one year after Schroeder’s government
pledged unlimited support to the United States and its war on terrorism.
The
German street has also changed its stance regarding the U.S. The initial
sympathy regarding the victims of the September 11 attacks, was not
repeated on the anniversary of the attacks.
Observers
believe that the Germans feel that the United States administration and
its forces around the world have ruined all causes for sympathy with its
vindictive war, its military expansions and its overplaying of the role
of global cop.
Meanwhile,
the Germany newspaper Bild, reported Sunday that Daeubler-Gmelin will
resign after Sunday’s elections.
In
its edition to appear on Monday, Bild quotes sources close to the
government as saying that Daeubler-Gmelin will resign to avoid the
indignity of being asked publicly to quit.
Bild
said the right wing of the ruling Social Democrats parliamentary group
had already begun putting pressure on Daeubler-Gmelin to stand down and
that Schroeder was considering asking for her resignation.
Senior
interior ministry official Brigitte Zypries could take over her
portfolio if the Social Democrats win Sunday’s election, it said.
She
has vehemently denied making the remarks and claims she was misquoted,
said AFP.
U.S.
national security advisor Condoleezza Rice slammed them in an interview
with Saturday’s Financial Times Deutschland newspaper and said that
Germany had created “a poisoned atmosphere.”
“How
can one mention Hitler and the U.S. President in the same sentence?”
Rice asked.
“And
above all, how can such a comment come from the mouth of a German when
one considers the sacrifices made by the United States when it acted to
liberate the Germans from Hitler.”
Relations
between Germany and the United States were already tense following
Schroeder’s strong stand against German participation in an attack on
Iraq, whether not it is sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council.
