End of Ice Age in German-U.S. Relations

A high-profile meeting between Germany’s Defense Minister Peter Struck and U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Friday went a long way to thawing the ice in the chilly German-American relationship. Over the last few months, ties between the two countries had become strained following a series of statements from Germany’s leaders denouncing a U.S.-led war on Iraq. The meeting in Washington was the first real step in bringing the countries back together again.

"Poisoned" relations

German-American relations turned sour several months ago in the wake of statements by Germany’s governing parties, the Social Democrats and the Greens, who openly criticized Washington’s efforts to lead a war on Iraq as "pure adventure." Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) had campaigned hard for re-election in September on a foreign policy platform based largely on opposition to an Iraqi invasion. Although popular in his own country, Schröder’s adamant stance antagonized Washington politicians, who regarded support for the initiative as part of the ongoing war on terror, to which Germany had pledged itself.

For many in the U.S., including President George W. Bush and his cabinet, the Iraq question was a matter of being "with us or against us," and the Germans appeared to be against the U.S. In the words of National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, such stead-fast opposition had "poisoned" German-American relations.

Of course matters were not improved any when Schröder’s Justice Minister Herta Däubler-Gmelin (since removed from office) compared President Bush’s methods to those of Hitler’s.

Mending gestures

For several weeks after the statements, it seemed as if no amount of apologies could restore the damage done to the transatlantic ties. Neither President Bush nor Chancellor Schröder were on speaking terms. And at a meeting of NATO partners in Warsaw in September, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld snubbed his German counterpart Peter Struck, referring to him in a press conference as simply "that man."

In the meantime, Germany had made several attempts to mend relations, offering to take on the leadership of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan and demonstrating a willingness to extend the "Enduring Freedom" mandate, in which German troops are stationed in Kuwait, Afghanistan and off the Horn of Africa.

Last week Germany’s Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer met with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to discuss improving transatlantic ties. Handshakes were exchanged and friendly words were spoken, but it wasn’t until this Friday’s meeting between the countries’ top defense leaders that relations actually showed a significant sign of improving.

"Unpoisoned" relations

After the meeting, which Pentagon officials described as "pleasant," Rumsfeld extended a hand to his German colleague Struck and pronounced U.S. relations with Germany "unpoisoned."

"That’s very good," replied Struck, who had come to Washington with the explicit intent of discussing ways to improve the two countries’ relations. For everyone present, Rumsfeld’s remarks indicated an undeniable reversal of previous rebuking, in Struck’s words a "new beginning in cooperation."

Accepting the gesture of friendship, Struck said that the German position on military action against Iraq remained unchanged. He praised President Bush for going to the U.N. Security Council with a new resolution placing arms inspection in first priority and a military intervention as a second resort.

"With today’s decision in New York [Security Council approval of Iraq resolution], the line and the approach of President Bush to cooperate with or to go through the United Nations, to choose the way of multilateral approach, has proven to be correct," Struck told reporters.

U.S. German cooperation

During the meeting, Struck and Rumsfeld discussed Germany’s offer to take over the leadership of the ISAF in Afghanistan together with the Netherlands. Right now Turkey has leadership over the international troops, but it will relinquish its direction in March. Germany currently has 2,200 soldiers in Afghanistan, including about 100 members of the Special Forces. Assuming leadership of the ISAF would require both Germany and the Netherlands to send more troops to the region. Washington has said it would like Germany to remain in Afghanistan for at least two years.

The second major issue on the meeting’s agenda was a U.S. proposal for a mobile NATO strike force that will be put before the transatlantic allies at a summit in Prague later this month. Struck said Germany would support such a plan, but added that the project could not "stand in the way" of plans for an EU rapid response force.

"Good working relations"

Prior to the defense leaders' meeting, Chancellor Schröder made a telephone call to President Bush expressing hope for "good working relations," a White House spokesman said. "The president’s response is that he’s interested in getting down to business, moving forward on common agenda items," Sean McCormack told reporters.

In their approximately 10-minute phone conversation, Bush and Schröder agreed, among other things, that the European Union must reach out to Turkey, which so far has not been given a clear signal from Brussels regarding membership.

Turkey is a member of NATO and a valuable U.S. alley in the Middle East. In the last few weeks, the EU has been less than open about extending a possible membership to Turkey, and has not yet made a final decision about whether or not Turkey will be included in candidate talks in Copenhagen in December. Germany has pushed for a clearer stance from Brussels.

"Turkey has an interest in joining the EU and we think that now is an important time to reach out to Turkey and to talk to them about their interest in joining the EU," McCormack told reporters.

Whether or not Germany will be able to convince the EU of this is another matter, but for the meantime, at least the two transatlantic partners are working together again.