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http://sg.news.yahoo.com/020425/1/2om4k.html Thursday April 25, 4:28 PM Schroeder won't rule out German participation in Mideast peace force -Schroeder also admitted that, for obvious historical reasons, the issue of German troops on Israeli soil would be a sensitive one. [That only leaves one alternative.] German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder refused to rule out his country's participation in any future peacekeeping force in the Middle East, but said that any role it played would be examined on a case by case basis. In a speech on behalf of his center-left government to parliament, Schroeder said Thursday: "In the Middle East, the question of German participation in an international security force is not on the table. But we are faithful to our responsibility in the region." "We are also, in the future, going to fulfill our obligations to the international community. To that end, we are going to decide on a case by case basis on the size of our participation, based on what we can and should provide," he said. His government has come under fire because the German army's international role, in places like Afghanistan and Macedonia, has been widened but the military budget has not been increased to support the operations. Schroeder also admitted that, for obvious historical reasons, the issue of German troops on Israeli soil would be a sensitive one. Reaffirming that Israel's right to exist was an inalienable part of German foreign policy, the chancellor rejected applying any embargo or boycott measures against it over its incursions in Palestinian territories. Germany said on April 14 that it had suspended the supply of military equipment to Israel, becoming the first European nation to apply direct economic pressure on the country since the start of Israeli incursions in the West Bank more than two weeks ago. In reference to a security plan for the region proposed by Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, Schroeder said that it deserved the highest attention at an international level and that it included an international security component. Fischer's plan foresees a total separation of the two sides, an Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territories, the closure of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the declaration of a provisional Palestinian state. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Games - play chess, backgammon, pool and more http://games.yahoo.com/ --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
