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France and Germany united against unilateral attack on Iraq
Hanover, Sept 08: France and Germany are both against any unilateral US attack on Iraq, German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said after a summit meeting with French President Jacques Chirac.
Hanover, Sept 08: France and Germany are both against any unilateral US attack on Iraq, German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said after a summit meeting with French President Jacques Chirac.
"We are fully in agreement on four points: no unilateral action by the United States, a solution which goes through the United Nations Security Council, the unconditional return of UN arms inspectors to Iraq and no change in the aims" over Iraq, said Schroeder at a joint press conference with Chirac yesterday. The reference to "no change in aims" alluded to a recent switch in the US position on Iraq, which went from demanding the return of UN weapons inspectors -- a position many countries agree on -- to the much more controversial stance of demanding the overthrow or removal of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his regime. Schroeder also reaffirmed his earlier position that Germany would not take part in any attack on Iraq.
The press conference by the two leaders, held after over two hours of talks over dinner in the German city of Hanover, came at almost exactly the same time that us President George W Bush was greeting British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Bush's weekend retreat of Camp David.
The British leader has broken ranks with many of his EU colleagues, and notably with Schroeder and Chirac, in supporting a US military strike against Iraq.
Bureau Report
"We are fully in agreement on four points: no unilateral action by the United States, a solution which goes through the United Nations Security Council, the unconditional return of UN arms inspectors to Iraq and no change in the aims" over Iraq, said Schroeder at a joint press conference with Chirac yesterday. The reference to "no change in aims" alluded to a recent switch in the US position on Iraq, which went from demanding the return of UN weapons inspectors -- a position many countries agree on -- to the much more controversial stance of demanding the overthrow or removal of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his regime. Schroeder also reaffirmed his earlier position that Germany would not take part in any attack on Iraq.
The press conference by the two leaders, held after over two hours of talks over dinner in the German city of Hanover, came at almost exactly the same time that us President George W Bush was greeting British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Bush's weekend retreat of Camp David.
The British leader has broken ranks with many of his EU colleagues, and notably with Schroeder and Chirac, in supporting a US military strike against Iraq.
Bureau Report