Offer for support
KRONBERG/BERLIN On the occasion of US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice's first official visit, Chancellor Schroeder announced that Germany would reinforce its engagement in Iraq. German commitment centers on the training of police and military personnel for that war-devastated country, as well as the establishment of state institutions such as ministries. A bit earlier, Interior Minister Schily declared at his meeting with President Bush, in Washington that German experts could supervise the establishment of the Interior and Justice Ministries and send specialists for the elaboration of the Iraqi constitution. The support offered by Berlin is aimed at undermining the position of power, the USA has attained through its war of aggression and subsequent occupation of the that country, and at counteracting this position through long-term and sustained political and economic influence.
Just after the start of the war, nearly two years ago, the Centrum fuer angewandte Politikforschung (CAP) and the Bertelsmann Foundation, both closely cooperating with the German Foreign Ministry, presented a strategy paper on the ,,New order in Iraq, according to European principles". The ,,presence of the EU at all levels"must be assured, in order to guarantee ,,the political and economic interests of the Community"and, the paper states, to prevent the EU from being marginalized ,,in a region close to its backyard". 1)This strategy was extended and updated by the ,,Kronberg Near East Conference", which convened 50 top representatives of 21 (particularly Arab) countries and six international organizations, on the initiative of CAP and the Bertelsmann Foundation.
Carrot and the Stick
The memorandum which laid the foundations of the conference 2), called for a ,,new cooperation"between the EU and the USA in order to reshape the Near and Middle East in accordance with western interests. The memorandum states that ,,the different approaches consisting of American threats and European readiness to engage in dialogue as a sort of carrot and stick policy (...) could prove complementary". The submission of the states of the region to western political and economic dictate ( ,,resolute political, social and economic reforms towards democracy and market economy") forms the basis of the common EU/USA interests. The availability to western capital stands in the forefront: only the reluctant ,,creation of market economic regulation systems"and the hesitant privatization of state owned enterprises are being criticized. 3)
Honest Broker
With an alliance under EU leadership, based on the local military, German strategists of the ,,new order in Iraq, according to European principles"would like to restrain the US hegemony in the region, which is founded particularly on its military might. They are counting on the untenable present situation ( ,,impossibility of the occupation forces and the interim government to establish law and order") and the steadily rising toll in lives caused by the occupation: ,,This task has become too costly for the USA, whose troops are being over extended, and their presence has only nourished the discontent of the people in host states."The ,,creation of new security arrangements"is being demanded, through ,,a Golf security system based on the states of the region", and aimed particularly at the reduction of US-troops, which stands in the way of augmented German/European influence: ,,The system should be aimed at considerably reducing foreign presence in the Golf region". The reason given to underline German European leadership: unlike the US, the EU is ,,well positioned"and could appear as an ,,honest broker". 4)
Civil Power
In order to secure durable ties with the Near and Middle Eastern states, the strategy paper calls for the EU undertaking a ,,careful and long-term strategy", based upon the ,,rich experience of the EU as a civilian power". 5)The EU should particularly enhance its influence through its participation in the reconstruction of state and social structures in Iraq. Mentioned particularly are the training of police forces, border guards and other administrations of internal security, the reform of the Iraqi system of law and criminal prosecution and the support of non-governmental organizations. In the opinion of the Berlin government's advisors, the Europeans are better situated than the US, to be able to recruit influence agents ( ,,suitable intermediaries") in Near and Middle Eastern states.
Challenge
Despite the ostensible ,,civil"character of the Near East strategy, Berlin is by no means willing to renounce on the use of military measures or the extension of its military presence in the region. Germany maintains military contacts and reinforces its arms exports to the crisis regions of the Near and Middle East. The Chairman of the NATO-military commission, the German general Kujat, has just renewed his proposition that NATO should push through a possible peace settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. A United Nations' mandate would be necessary and both conflict parties would have to be in favor of the engagement. The Bundeswehr must participate, says Kujat: German history does not present an obstacle. On the contrary it is ,,virtually the challenge"begging deployment. 6)
Safeguard
The combination of military and civilian economic strategies will be treated during the imminent ,,Munich Conference of Security Policy". On February 11, immediately preceding and in coordination with the Military Conference, the ,,North Africa/Middle East Finance Conference"will be held in Munich, to which numerous policy-makers from North Africa, the Near and Middle Eastern states are expected to be in attendance. The military safeguard of German-European economic expansion will be discussed, which will also play an important role in the ,,Conference of Security Policy"(February 11 to 12 2005) under the title ,,mutual relations of economic development and security". 7)
1) see also Berlin wants ethnic ,,New Order"in Gulf region
2) Europa und der Nahe Osten. Perspektiven fuer Engagement und Zusammenarbeit, herausgegeben von der Bertelsmann Forschungsgruppe Politik, Centrum fuer angewandte Politikforschung, Muenchen; www.cap-lmu.de 28.01.2005
3) Reform- und Friedenssignale bei den Kronberger Nahostgespraechen; www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de 25.01.2005. See also Complementary war powerand Background report: Berlin/Washington - division of labor against Iran?
4) Europa und der Nahe Osten. Perspektiven fuer Engagement und Zusammenarbeit, herausgegeben von der Bertelsmann Forschungsgruppe Politik, Centrum fuer angewandte Politikforschung, Muenchen; www.cap-lmu.de 28.01.2005
5) see also The End of ,,Civilian Power"and Nuclear War
6) Kujat: Nato sollte Frieden in Nahost durchsetzen; Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 07.02.2005
7) Erste Finanzierungskonferenz Nordafrika Mittelost am 11. Februar 2005 in Muenchen; www.auwi-bayern.de 11.01.2005. See also Claiming Leadership
Quellen:
A Window of Opportunity? Europe, Gulf Security and the Aftermath of the Iraq War; www.cap-lmu.de 13.12.2004
Schily sichert Bush Hilfe beim Demokratieaufbau im Irak zu; Financial Times Deutschland 04.02.2005
Rice in Berlin. Schoene Bilder, doppelte Botschaften; Spiegel online 04.02.2005
Schroeder will mehr fuer den Irak-Aufbau tun; Die Welt 05.02.2005
