Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- Its boss frolics in wild abandon, and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder announces he's going to visit the gravesite of his father, Wehrmacht Corporal Schroeder, in Romania, where former nazi ally King Michael is suing to have his royal estates returned to him. Where is Steven Spielberg when we need him? German defence minister's PR stunt backfires John Hooper in Berlin Wednesday August 29, 2001 The Guardian All Nato's defence ministers must be fretting over the alliance's risky disarmament mission to Macedonia, but none has as much to worry about as Germany's Rudolf Scharping. At a time when he should be fixed on reassuring a jittery public and a volatile parliament, he is fighting for his political life. As the country agonised last week over only the second deployment abroad by the Bundeswehr since it came into existence after the second world war, Mr Scharping was pictured splashing in a pool with a sexy aristocrat on Mallorca. The gossip magazine Bunte carried no less than 14 authorised colour photographs of the Social Democrat defence minister hugging, kissing and drinking wine with his fiancee, Countess Kristina Pilati von Thassul zu Daxberg-Borggreve. The balding Mr Scharping, who is divorcing hiswife, talked about wedding plans in the accompanying interview. The report was prepared before Nato decided to launch Operation Essential Harvest. But the timing of its publication could not have been more disastrous. The opposition Christian Democrats have called for Mr Scharping's resignation, and even the Greens, who are allied in government to the Social Democrats, have been critical. Der Spiegel magazine put the couple on its cover this week, portraying them taking a dip in an upturned Bundeswehr combat helmet. In another country, the affair might have had less resonance. But Germany is only just becoming accustomed to the idea that it has an international military role once again. After much debate, parliament is expected today to approve the government's plan to contribute 500 troops to the Nato mission. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
