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| Europe |
| Germany to withdraw 25pc of forces from Bosnia |
| 2005-10-25 |
| Germany is to withdraw about one quarter of its 1,000 peacekeepers from Bosnia, outgoing Defence Minister Peter Struck said in an interview with the Sunday newspaper Welt am Sonntag. Struck said Balkan leaders had to be gradually made to take their own responsibility for the future. "It's my impression that there is a tendency there to take it easy and leave the work to us." "We'll withdraw 200 to 300 soldiers from Bosnia," said Struck, a Social Democrat who is to hand over his portfolio to a member of Germany's conservative Christian Democratic party as soon as coalition talks in Berlin are completed. He said part of the German forces on peacekeeping duty in Kosovo was also likely to be withdrawn. "As far as Kosovo is concerned, I assume that the status issue will be settled in the course of the next half-year. "After that we can withdraw the soldiers." But he said he could not state a date when all German soldiers would come home from the Balkans. quagmire! |
| Posted by:anon |
| #29 Trying to lay the blame for the mess in the middle east or africa or central asia or venezuela, etc on any other countries is fruitless. Ultimately the inhabitants of these marginal "states" will have to get their collective shit together (or not in the case of the wannabe muslim caliphate). If not, there will ultimately be a nasty showdown. I think that eventually, every country surrounding the Islamic world will have to decide that enough is enough. The question will be, at that point, do they have enough men of fighting age and the guts to finish the job. |
| Posted by: Phumble Threck4845 2005-10-25 23:04 |
| #28 Arguably Bosnia, at least, has not achieved proper independence because the garrisoned Peacekeepers were more interested in setting up brothels staffed by the local girls than they were in setting up elected town councils. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-10-25 23:00 |
| #27 Do they need the troops to defend against imports of improperly-labeled Feta cheese? |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-10-25 22:14 |
| #26 Two points. One, it *is* time for the successor states from the former Yugoslavia to be weaned off the international t!t. Note how only Bosnia and Kosovo require peacekeeping troops and massive doses of monetary aid - Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro appear to be doing quite nicely without any. Note how both Bosnia and Kosovo are Muslim majority. Two, any problems from imploding Muslim states in the Balkans will be borne primarily by the states surrounding the region. If Bosnia and Kosovo encounter serious problems in the aftermath of disengagement, expect the refugees to end up in Germany and other neighboring countries. Now, if the Serbs had been left alone to do what they had to do, most of these Muslims would have ended up in Turkey or Albania, and we wouldn't have to worry about spending big chunks of cash and tying down troops in Bosnia and Kosovo. But that was the road not taken. |
| Posted by: Elmenter Snineque1852 2005-10-25 22:00 |
| #25 Viking, I don't speak your language, but let me say it in German, since we are discussing Germany: Sprecht Du nicht mehr wie ein unerzogenes Kleinkind. Du zeigst, dass Du ganz und gar nicht von europaische Geschichte weisst, wann Du solche Unsinn schreibst. Oh, and I was living in Frankfurt when Yugoslavia fell apart. I had the distinct non-pleasure of having to explain to my Croatian neighbor on one side, and my Serbian neighbor on the other, that President Clinton could not intervene to end the fighting because the EU insisted they would handle it themselves... and the EU continued to refuse to allow American assistence until half of Sarajevo had been killed, and much of the ancient beauty of Croatia was destroyed. So either you are deliberately lying about your own history in order to insult the "stupid Americans" who caught you out, or you really are an ignoramous, in which case insulting the intelligence of your betters is ... umm ... unwise. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-10-25 21:59 |
| #24 Any statements containing "Your Mess", "Imperiaism" and "Empire" made by or comming out of anywhere in Europe or the UK is laughable. Anywhere you turn in the world that is a shit hole or train wreck you can thank Europe for. Look at Africa, look at the Middle East and Asia. All the failed states, train wrecks and places of genocide are former European and British colonies and possesions. Liberia is the only country remotely related to the US in any way.The make-up of most Middle Eastern and African countries was deterimined by Europeans and English men. No one in the US took part. The mess that is the former Yugoslavia can be laid right at Europe's feet. Viking grow up. That smell is your own flatulence. A please do fight your own fights. I kind of doubt Europe can or will, since it lacks the manhood to do so. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-10-25 20:46 |
| #23 They coulda been a contenda Pappy except for their alcoholism rate. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-10-25 19:09 |
| #22 Well, arguably it wasn't Viking's mess ... he's posting from Iceland Now there's a world power. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-10-25 18:42 |
| #21 :-) |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-10-25 18:30 |
| #20 a viking pussy in da house! |
| Posted by: legolas 2005-10-25 18:28 |
| #19 Okay, Frank - he's your bitch, lol. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-10-25 18:17 |
| #18 Well, Viking, I have actual Norwegian blood - from the homeland - you're the spawn of a rape and pillage...get over it, loser. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-10-25 18:16 |
| #17 Lol - Insider info... not fair, lol. He is one un-Viking, that's for certain. Wotta limp little twerp. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-10-25 18:16 |
| #16 Well, arguably it wasn't Viking's mess ... he's posting from Iceland. But by extension I think you're about right .com. |
| Posted by: lotp 2005-10-25 18:13 |
| #15 Gosharoonies. Our mess? You fucking moron, this has been YOUR European mess from day fucking one. You couldn't handle it. You've fumbled the issue since Adam. Your European "leaders" stood there wringing their hands for years, moaning, groaning, whining, and dining - what they do best. Our dumbass Clinton came in and saved your asses. Stupid move - look at the fuckwit response for it. Gutless Thankless Whining Asstard. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-10-25 18:12 |
| #14 Fight your own damned wars and stop trying to drag others in the mud with you. Question: You mean like Bosnia? |
| Posted by: Doolittle 2005-10-25 18:10 |
| #13 Frank i bet you have an IQ below sea temperature ... it took you a while to figure out that i was insulting you fuckface |
| Posted by: Viking 2005-10-25 18:09 |
| #12 Oh yeah ... remind me again about how we started the one in the Balkans. Which began when Germany unilaterally decided to recognize Croatia, with leadership that went right back to the Ustasi allies of the Nazis. Uh huh. |
| Posted by: lotp 2005-10-25 18:08 |
| #11 You dumbasses you start wars all over the world and then throw a tantrum and cry like the wimps you are when you cant clean up the mess you make. Fight your own damned wars and stop trying to drag others in the mud with you. |
| Posted by: Viking 2005-10-25 18:05 |
| #10 They don't and will not adhere to treaties they have signed The EU stabilization pact being a prime example. |
| Posted by: anon 2005-10-25 17:54 |
| #9 Some little kinder has thin skin? Seems you can't trust a themt to pull their own weight. Germany is and will remain a prime example of how to wreck an international relationship. They don't and will not adhere to treaties they have signed and are now joining the cut and run crowd along with the Spanish. Buhbye. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-10-25 17:41 |
| #8 Just an excuse to sit on your collective ends and do nothing. Especially egregious when they are culpable for spurring the collapse of Yugoslavia and the reinitiation of ethnic cleansing by their former Ustasi buddies. We're the ones who should be leaving so they can clean up the mess they made. |
| Posted by: Spiper Grulet5024 2005-10-25 16:40 |
| #7 a Viking doesn't whine. Get yourself a real nym, pussy |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-10-25 16:37 |
| #6 wtf? a 40 year old German was born 20 years after the war ended. Time to grow up and become a member of society again. Enough with the mental anguish of your damn forefathers. Every country has a past of shame, how long does it take to recuperate? Just an excuse to sit on your collective ends and do nothing. |
| Posted by: Doolittle 2005-10-25 15:12 |
| #5 I thought that was the Dutch, SPOD? (apologies if I'm mistaken) |
| Posted by: Jake-the-Peg 2005-10-25 15:11 |
| #4 Lol. I can handle it. Go Fuck yourself, anyway. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-10-25 15:10 |
| #3 Germany is still recovering from WWII, they dont want to fight another war or have anything to do with war. If you cant handle that then go Fxxk yourself. |
| Posted by: Viking 2005-10-25 15:01 |
| #2 Last time the Germans were confronted with a mob going on a rampage they stood there and let them burn a church. They really aren't much use. Buh Bye. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-10-25 14:12 |
| #1 "Let the Americans handle the load." Sooner or later, Europe is going to have to take responsibility for SOMETHING, even if it's only its own destruction. I hope someone over there realizes the free ride is over. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2005-10-25 14:09 |