Gerhard Schroeder Ready To Help USA

German, French and British leaders are going to discuss the situation with Iraq on September 20th

It seems that Washington's appeals to put an end to the Iraqi problem has finally been heard. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder decided to do something pleasant to George W. Bush. In an interview to Wall Street Journal the chancellor said, Germany was ready to help the USA regardless of the UN's new resolution on Iraq.

Amazing things may happen in politics at times. About two weeks ago, Schroeder and Jacques Chirac harshly criticized the American variant of the resolution. The two leaders emphasized, the UN was still playing an auxiliary role. Now the German chancellor is prepared to help the States regardless of the UN's resolution.

Wall Street Journal wrote, Schroeder's statement could mean a turn in the relations between the USA and German which had worsened because of Berlin's stance regarding the attack on Iraq. However, Schroeder added that Berlin was not going to fund the restoration of Iraq or dispatch military men there. Germany is ready to assist in training Iraqi policemen or in rendering financial help for the projects, in which Germany firms will participate. The chancellor said, the countries that were against the attack on Iraq should bear responsibility together with the countries that backed up the military operation.

It is always hard to understand politicians when they talk about the responsibility connected with the Iraqi issue. Such words sound very strange from American politicians, who started the Iraqi mess. Now they are inviting all countries to settle everything down. If a country refuses to help, it is automatically categorized as the USA's ill-wisher. It is a paradox: at first they were denouncing the opponents of the war, now they criticize them for their refusal to help the States.

As far as Schroeder's statement is concerned, his conciliatory point of view can be explained with the meeting that the chancellor is going to have with French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Berlin on September 20th. The three leaders are to discuss mutually-acceptable positions in foreign policy in connection with different points of view prior to the war in Iraq. Schroeder has made a step toward the reconciliation. Now we shall wait and see what Tony Blair is going to say.