Cracks in the Axis

Scarcely one week after Russia, Germany, and France agreed to do something undetermined about Iraq

The London Times has an interesting piece (subscription only) that starts here:

In the past three years, the world has been adjusting to the consequences of 9/11. That one event has dominated American politics and policy. It has divided the Nato alliance, with France and Germany taking one line and the United States and Britain another. In both America and Britain it has been the central issue of political debate. It has been a major influence on the increasingly unstable world market for oil. It has been the crucial event in the growth of Islamic terrorism.

Then finishes here:

Strategically, Beslan pushes Russia, which is a major power and a nuclear one, towards working with the US against terrorism and in the Middle East. China and India have similar motives and a similar fear of terrorism. Europe remains as doubtful as ever, but becomes less important. Objectively, as the Marxists used to say, the Chechen separatists have strengthened Mr Bush; they have pushed Russia towards supporting his policy and they have helped him to win re-election.

With a lot of well-worth-reading stuff in between. The headline? Beslan Is Russia's 9/11: It Will Change The World.

Will it?

That bit about working with the US is an interesting line, and if you think it far- fetched consider this stunner from the Washington Times:

Israel Will Aid Russia In Fight On Terror

Russia is turning for help against terrorism to a country with long experience, signing a memorandum with Israel yesterday pledging the two countries will work more closely in fighting the scourge.

The increased sophistication of the terrorists in Chechnya and growing signs of an Arab role in last week's school attack in Beslan, Russia ? where 120 victims were buried yesterday ? appear to have overcome Moscow's concerns about offending its Arab allies by cooperating with Israel.

Funeral processions jammed the rain-filled streets of Beslan on the first of two days of official mourning yesterday, while other anguished parents searched for missing children. At least half of the more than 330 dead in explosions and a shootout Friday at the school are children.

(Note: I believe Logic and Sanity translated this Russia/Israel connection from Russian sources before the American media reported it.)

Other reports have the gravediggers of Beslan preparing 600 sites. Pausing here before reading on for brief prayer is encouraged.

Now then, how about that wake up call, Europe?

Italy:

Italian diplomats say that France was behind forged documents which at first appeared to prove that Iraq was seeking "yellow-cake" uranium in Niger - evidence used by Britain and America to promote the case for last year's Gulf war.

They say that France's intelligence services used an Italian-born middle-man to circulate a mixture of genuine and bogus documents to "trap" the two leading proponents of war with Saddam into making unsupportable claims.

They have passed to The Sunday Telegraph a photograph which they claim shows the Italian go-between, sometimes known as "Giacomo" - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - meeting a senior French intelligence officer based in Brussels. "The French hoped that the bulk of the documents would be exposed as false, since many of them obviously were," an Italian official said.

"Their aim was to make the allies look ridiculous in order to undermine their case for war."

France:

PARIS -- As France awaits word on two journalists being held hostage in Iraq, officials have made it clear that they expect to benefit from their stand against the U.S.-led invasion and occupation. "France has always pleaded for the sovereignty of this country and supported its people," Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said last week as the crisis unfolded.

The safe return of the journalists, Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot, would not only end a crisis that has gripped the country but would also ratify the value of French opposition to the Bush administration's Iraq policy, political observers said.

In lobbying for the captives' freedom, the observers said, France had gained support from governments in the Middle East, Muslim religious leaders and even the Hezbollah guerrilla group, which has used kidnappings in its fight against Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon.

"The French diplomatic effort has been impressive. If the hostages are released, it is a plus for French foreign policy," said Guillaume Parmentier, a political analyst and expert on U.S.-French relations.

Which leads us back to the London Times, where we find this:

Iraqi Prime Minister Slams Delusions Of 'Pacifist' French

By Hala Jaber, Baghdad

THE Iraqi interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi, has accused France of deluding itself that it was immune from terrorism because of its opposition to the war on Iraq and of taking a pacifist role in the war on terror.

In an interview last week, Allawi urged European governments, including the French, not to be ?half-hearted? in combating terrorism and to close ranks with his country in its battle against the ?evil forces? undermining security.

?No civilised country can draw back; the campaign against terrorism must be a global one, because the challenge is global,? the prime minister said.

?The French, like all democratic countries, cannot let themselves be satisfied with adopting a passive position . . . Governments that decide to stay on the defensive will be the next terrorist targets.?

Allawi said the kidnapping of two French journalists showed that ?neutrality doesn?t exist?. ?Even though France was against the war, it will not be spared. Hiding away from confrontation is not the way . . . The French will soon have to fight against terrorists.?

The prime minister made his comments as France worked feverishly to secure the release of the journalists Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot, kidnapped by Islamic militants 16 days ago.

On Thursday a newspaper regarded as a mouthpiece for Allawi?s party, the Iraqi National Accord, said President Jaques Chirac must share responsibility for the kidnappings because he had opposed international initiatives aimed at restoring Iraq?s security.

A second editorial complained that France was proud not to have helped topple the regime of Saddam Hussein and had remained silent while ?terrorist attacks were being carried out against the Iraqi people and infrastructure . . . Now France can?t sit still. Its envoys are everywhere, including in Iraq, calling on all Iraqis to intervene to free their citizens?.

Allawi appealed in his interview for more European help in training Iraqi security forces and providing them with technical assistance. His country also needed to exchange information on the movement of terrorists, he said.

He revealed that he was holding private meetings with Iraqi insurgents in an effort to persuade them to accept the offer of a government amnesty in return for laying down their weapons. The meetings, some of which have taken place at Allawi?s home, represent the most significant effort yet to curb the insurgency through political rather than military means.

The prime minister said meetings with representatives of insurgent groups from the restive cities of Falluja, Ramadi and Samara began shortly after he took office in June, but had yet to produce any agreements.

?I am talking to the people there and we are reaching out to them, to tribes, to guys who were in military and security (services),? he said.

?I am telling them there is only one thing to do: respect the rule of law. If you want to use violence, we will face you violently and suppress you and we will bring you to justice.?

The Americans had made mistakes, said Allawi, but ?this is no excuse to behead people?. In any case, he refused to accept that an anti-occupation resistance movement existed in Iraq.

As far as he was concerned, all the fighters were ?terrorists, criminals, thieves, ex-regime still at large and foreign fighters coming from abroad such as Egypt, Jordan and Iran?.

I believe he speaks for free peoples everywhere.

Including Germany:

BERLIN ? A German government minister came under criticism Friday for labeling the Iraq war "a true crime."

Germany's conservative opposition urged Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to reprimand Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, minister for economic cooperation and development.

Wieczorek-Zeul said in a speech late Wednesday that the Iraq war had caused terrible human suffering.

"That is a true crime," said the left-wing member of Schroeder's Social Democrats, known as the SPD.

Leaders of the opposition Christian Democrats, or CDU, who supported the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, called on Wieczorek-Zeul to retract the remarks and for Schroeder to silence her.

"The chancellor needs to put a muzzle on Wieczorek-Zeul and her anti-American attacks," said Christian Ruck, a CDU deputy.

Government officials and SPD deputies defended Wieczorek-Zeul's remarks.

Schroeder had criticized U.S. steps against Iraq right until the war started. In his 2002 reelection campaign, he said an attack on Iraq would "set ablaze" the Middle East.

But wait - there's hope, as David's Medienkritik reports on elections in the German Republic of Saarland - located approximately one kilometer west of Haus Grauhawk:

Yet another state election in Germany has resulted in a major loss for German Chancellor Schroeder and his ruling Socialist SPD party. The Saarland elections, held in a small western state bordering France, resulted in a massive drop of over 13 points for the SPD since the last election in 1999. The other major parties in the election all gained between 2 and 4 points.

By the way, did you know the horror in Russia occurred on the 65th anniversary of the start of World War II in Europe?