Einigung auf Generalsekretär Rasmussen: Obama rettet Nato-Regierungen vor Gipfelblamage - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten - Politik Agreement on chief secretary Rasmussen: Obama saves Nato governments of summit disgrace - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - Politics Weltstaatsmann in Aktion: Barack Obama hat die Gastgeber Deutschland und Frankreich vor einem Fiasko des Nato-Gipfels bewahrt - er bewegte die Türken dazu, ihren Widerstand gegen den künftigen Nato-Chef Rasmussen aufzugeben. Die Wende brachte ein Telefonat des US-Präsidenten.Global statesman in action: Barack Obama saved hosts Germany and France from a fiasco of the NATO summit - he moved the Turks[sic!] to give up on their resistance against the future Nato chief Rasmussen. The turn was brought by a call from the U.S. President.
Sick, aint't it? Both the choice of Rasmussen and SPIEGEL's glowing Atlanticism. But here is the actual info SPIEGEL had:
Der entscheidende Impuls ging demnach wohl von den USA aus. Obama redete mit Gül und telefonierte mit Erdogan, dessen Bedenken er angeblich ausräumte. Erdogan sagte, er habe von Obama Garantien erhalten. Angeblich soll es dabei um den in Dänemark stationierten kurdischen TV-Sender Roj TV gegangen sein, aber auch um einen möglichen Top-Nato-Posten für die Türkei.The decisive impulse was thus probably from the U.S.. Obama talked with [President] Gül and telephoned with [PM] Erdogan, whose concerns he allegedly cleared up. Erdogan said he had received guarantees from Obama. Supposedly this is about the Denmark-based Kurdish TV station Roj TV, but also a potential top NATO post for Turkey. Keine dieser Informationen konnte am Ende des Gipfels bestätigt werden...None of this information could be confirmed by the end of the summit...
Anti-NATO protesters waving the Soviet flag did not celebrate Albania and Croatia joining the alliance (Photo: EUobserver)..."You have very well earned your place at the table," outgoing NATO secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told Albanian and Croatian delegations at the opening of the NATO council on Saturday morning in Strasbourg. Mr Scheffer said that the move is testimony to the countries' long years of reforms and a proof of the "open-door policy" of NATO enlargement. US President Barack Obama, himself for the first time at a NATO summit, thanked the pair for sending 140 Albanian and 296 Croatian troops to Afghanistan - a considerable contribution for the two small Balkan states of 3 and 4.5 million people, respectively....NATO leaders failed to achieve any progress on Macedonian membership, which remains pending because of the country's name dispute with Greece....As for the next countries in line for NATO membership, Georgia and Ukraine, leaders are expected to repeat what they said last year in Bucharest - that the two states would eventually join, once they fulfill criteria.
..."You have very well earned your place at the table," outgoing NATO secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told Albanian and Croatian delegations at the opening of the NATO council on Saturday morning in Strasbourg.
Mr Scheffer said that the move is testimony to the countries' long years of reforms and a proof of the "open-door policy" of NATO enlargement.
US President Barack Obama, himself for the first time at a NATO summit, thanked the pair for sending 140 Albanian and 296 Croatian troops to Afghanistan - a considerable contribution for the two small Balkan states of 3 and 4.5 million people, respectively.
...NATO leaders failed to achieve any progress on Macedonian membership, which remains pending because of the country's name dispute with Greece.
...As for the next countries in line for NATO membership, Georgia and Ukraine, leaders are expected to repeat what they said last year in Bucharest - that the two states would eventually join, once they fulfill criteria.
Hundreds of demonstrators also torched tyres, smashed windows and ransacked shops in an escalation of rioting during a summit of Nato leaders in the French city of Strasbourg. The worst of the violence was centred close to the French side of the Bridge of Europe - a road link over the river Rhine which connects France with Germany. The bridge is 5 km (3 miles) from the conference centre where 28 Nato leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, were meeting, and a pall of black smoke was clearly visible from the summit venue.Reuters television crews said youths had set fire to an Ibis hotel, a one-storey border post and a third building that was not immediately identified. A German first aide volunteer said around 50 people had been hurt in the clashes with riot police. The demonstrators campaigning to have Nato disbanded following the end of the Cold War, had vowed to disrupt Saturday's meeting after two days of skirmishes with police. However, organisers said they had wanted a peaceful protest and expressed shock at the violence. "I am very angry. This was meant to be a peaceful demonstration ... and tonight, instead of images of peace we will see images of war," said Marie-George Buffet, a veteran leader of the French Communist party.
Hundreds of demonstrators also torched tyres, smashed windows and ransacked shops in an escalation of rioting during a summit of Nato leaders in the French city of Strasbourg.
The worst of the violence was centred close to the French side of the Bridge of Europe - a road link over the river Rhine which connects France with Germany.
The bridge is 5 km (3 miles) from the conference centre where 28 Nato leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, were meeting, and a pall of black smoke was clearly visible from the summit venue.
Reuters television crews said youths had set fire to an Ibis hotel, a one-storey border post and a third building that was not immediately identified.
A German first aide volunteer said around 50 people had been hurt in the clashes with riot police.
The demonstrators campaigning to have Nato disbanded following the end of the Cold War, had vowed to disrupt Saturday's meeting after two days of skirmishes with police.
However, organisers said they had wanted a peaceful protest and expressed shock at the violence.
"I am very angry. This was meant to be a peaceful demonstration ... and tonight, instead of images of peace we will see images of war," said Marie-George Buffet, a veteran leader of the French Communist party.
It could have turned tragic:
In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
Anti-radar protests in Prague Ahead of the US president's arrival, some 300 opponents of the plan to site a US tracking radar on Czech territory held a protest gathering on Prague's Palach Square and the Legionaries' Bridge on Saturday, unfurling a banner that read "Yes, we can - say no to the radar". More demonstrations are expected on Sunday.
Ahead of the US president's arrival, some 300 opponents of the plan to site a US tracking radar on Czech territory held a protest gathering on Prague's Palach Square and the Legionaries' Bridge on Saturday, unfurling a banner that read "Yes, we can - say no to the radar". More demonstrations are expected on Sunday.
Britain is to send up to 1,000 extra troops to boost Nato's Afghanistan force. The deployment will take the UK's commitment to more than 9,000 but the additional troops will only be there temporarily to provide security for August elections and will not fight with US troops in combat missions. The Independent has learnt that efforts to reinforce President Barack Obama's "surge" permanently were met with disagreement within the British Government. It is understood British commanders wanted to send 2,000 to 3,000 more troops to Afghanistan to fight with American reinforcements of 21,000. But fundamental differences erupted between the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign Office and Downing Street over the strategy to adopt for Afghanistan. The Treasury objected to the additional costs of a fresh deployment....The new British offer is also conditional on other Nato countries committing forces. The announcement came as Mr Brown touched down in Strasbourg for the two-day Nato summit and was seen as an attempt to bounce reluctant nations, including the summit's hosts, France and Germany, into pledging a significant contribution to the military operation.
Britain is to send up to 1,000 extra troops to boost Nato's Afghanistan force. The deployment will take the UK's commitment to more than 9,000 but the additional troops will only be there temporarily to provide security for August elections and will not fight with US troops in combat missions.
The Independent has learnt that efforts to reinforce President Barack Obama's "surge" permanently were met with disagreement within the British Government. It is understood British commanders wanted to send 2,000 to 3,000 more troops to Afghanistan to fight with American reinforcements of 21,000.
But fundamental differences erupted between the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign Office and Downing Street over the strategy to adopt for Afghanistan. The Treasury objected to the additional costs of a fresh deployment.
...The new British offer is also conditional on other Nato countries committing forces. The announcement came as Mr Brown touched down in Strasbourg for the two-day Nato summit and was seen as an attempt to bounce reluctant nations, including the summit's hosts, France and Germany, into pledging a significant contribution to the military operation.
In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
