tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post114901697351500293..comments2023-12-30T21:13:14.551-05:00Comments on The Salon: Rising stakesTheMalauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1149684737612584942006-06-07T08:52:00.000-04:002006-06-07T08:52:00.000-04:00Merkel inherited this mission, she didn't create i...Merkel inherited this mission, she didn't create it for her own political purposes. Actually I think that it was the government of Belgium that really got the ball rolling several months ago within the EC/EU governing bodies.<BR/><BR/>U.S. military will most likely also be in the neighborhood this July-August on special maneuvers, but you won't be able to see them on TV unless somebody goofs up.BREhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09668844948345978806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1149622985474025222006-06-06T15:43:00.000-04:002006-06-06T15:43:00.000-04:00Bundeskanzlerin Merkel needed a show of force, and...Bundeskanzlerin Merkel needed a show of force, and of determination in the Bundestag, and the mission to Congo was the ideal, bold action she needed. Not that I am not somewhat thankful - I guess - that the force will be coming (at least Europeans have finally mustered the guts to - even symbolically - come to help fix the mess they contributed to create), but I stand firm that this is for show,TheMalauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13234958400648325094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486171.post-1149597726901516592006-06-06T08:42:00.000-04:002006-06-06T08:42:00.000-04:00The German Parliament (Der Bundestag) fiercely deb...The German Parliament (Der Bundestag) fiercely debated this troop deployment and the only reason you will see any German forces in the DR Congo this July is due to the leadership of the new Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel.<BR/><BR/>The former Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schroeder repeatedly turned down UN requests to send military troops along with his then close political ally Jacques Chiraq to the BREhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09668844948345978806noreply@blogger.com