Dialog International

Germany and the US Invasion of Iraq - Ten Years After

SPD man Frank Walter Steinmeier recalls Gerhard Schröder's refusal to join the Bush/Cheney Iraq War debacle.  At the time, it was perceived by the delusional US press as an impertinent slap in the face by an ungrateful US ally:

"Wir sind zu Solidarität bereit. Aber dieses Land wird unter meiner Führung für Abenteuer nicht zur Verfügung stehen."

In zwei kurzen Sätzen fasste Gerhard Schröder im Sommer 2002 seine Haltung zum Irak-Krieg zusammen. Und überschritt damit eine imaginäre rote Linie, die bis dahin für jede deutsche Nachkriegsregierung galt. Nie zuvor hatte ein Bundeskanzler so offen die amerikanische Führungsmacht kritisiert. Nie zuvor hatte ein Bundeskanzler für sich so deutlich eine eigene Beurteilungs- und Entscheidungskompetenz reklamiert. Entsprechend deutlich fielen die Reaktionen aus, im In- und im Ausland. Der damalige Verteidigungsminister der Bush-Regierung, Donald Rumsfeld, verweigerte seinem Amtskollegen Peter Struck den Handschlag. Die deutsche Oppositionsführerin Angela Merkel erklärte einer US-Zeitung: "Gerhard Schröder spricht nicht für alle Deutschen."

("We are prepared to show solidarity. But under my leadership this country will not be party to adventures."

These two sentences articulated Gerhard Schröder's position on the Iraq War.  And with this he crossed an imaginary red line which every postwar German government had honored up to then. Never before had a chancellor sol openly criticized American leadership. Never before had a chancellor demonstrated his independent judgement and decisiveness.  And the reaction both domestically and internationallly was predicatably strong. Donald Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense at the time, refused to shake the hand of his counterpart Peter Struck. Angela Merkel, the leader of the opposition told a US newspaper: "Gerhard Schröder doesn't speak for all Germans.")

Gerhard Schröder was right in his rufusal to be "Bush's Poodle" like Tony Blair.  The Iraq invasion turned out to be an even greater disaster than Schröder could have imagined at the time.  And even though he is despised today by many in Germany for his neo-liberal economic policies and his embrace of Vladimir Putin, all Germans should be grateful that Schröder kept his nation out of the trauma - the lost "blood and treasure"  - of a war that was based on lies.

But in the US today, some are still unable or unwilling to confront the truth.  In her memoir Spoken from the Heart Laura Bush blames Gerhard Schröder for "forcing" her husband to invade Iraq. 

 

 

Nobel committee overlooked America's contribution to peace in Europe

The 2012 Nobel Peace Price has been awarded to the European Union for its stabilizing role in transforming  "most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace."

"The union and its forerunners have for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.

In the inter-war years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee made several awards to persons who were seeking reconciliation between Germany and France. Since 1945, that reconciliation has become a reality. The dreadful suffering in World War II demonstrated the need for a new Europe. Over a seventy-year period, Germany and France had fought three wars. Today war between Germany and France is unthinkable. This shows how, through well-aimed efforts and by building up mutual confidence, historical enemies can become close partners.

In the 1980s, Greece, Spain and Portugal joined the EU. The introduction of democracy was a condition for their membership. The fall of the Berlin Wall made EU membership possible for several Central and Eastern European countries, thereby opening a new era in European history. The division between East and West has to a large extent been brought to an end; democracy has been strengthened; many ethnically-based national conflicts have been settled."

Completely absent from the award statement is recognition of the indispensible role played by the United States in providing both the economic and military security that made the creation of the European Union even feasible. 

Rainer Nowak, writing in Die Presse, makes this point quite succinctly, I think:

Dass auch die US-Truppen mit ihrer Befreiung Europas, später ihrer Militärpräsenz, beziehungsweise ein gemeinsamer äußerer Feind, nämlich der Ostblock, mitverantwortlich waren, fiel in Oslo leider unter den Tisch. Auch dass das Verdienst für den echten Frieden in Europa, nämlich die Beendigung des Kalten Krieges durch den wirtschaftlich-politischen Sieg des Westens über den Kommunismus, wohl eher Ronald Reagan, Maggie Thatcher und Karol Wojtyła denn der EU-Kommission zugeschrieben werden muss, blieb vorerst unerwähnt. Und in einem Punkt wurde das Preiskomitee unfreiwillig zynisch: durch die Erwähnung des „Prozesses der Aussöhnung“ auf dem Balkan, der durch die mögliche Aufnahme von Kroatien als Mitglied, die Einleitung von Aufnahmeverhandlungen mit Montenegro und den Kandidatenstatus für Serbien vorangetrieben worden sei. Es war die EU, die lange tatenlos dem Morden und den Vertreibungen in den Balkankriegen zugesehen hatte, bis endlich die USA intervenierten und Europa wieder aus der Bredouille halfen. Und nein, da war kein Öl zu holen.

(The fact that US troops, with their liberation of Europe and later with their military presence, or alternatively a common external enemy, namely the East Bloc, were also responsible was evidently overlooked in Oslo.  Also not mentioned was the fact that Ronald Reagan, Maggie Thatcher and Karol Wojtyła deserve more credit for bringing true peace to Europe, namely the end of the Cold War, than the EU Commission. On one point, in addition, the Nobel Committee was unintentionally cynical: in mentioning the 'reconciliation process' in the Balkans through the possible accession of Croatia, the start of accession negotiations with Montenegro and the candidacy of Serbia. It was the EU that stood by and allowed the murders and expulsions in the Balkan region to go on for so long, until finally the US intervened and once again helped Europe out of the mess. And no, there wasn't any oil involved.)

The United States does not deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. Not after the wars of choice in Vietnam and Iraq which ended badly. But if you're going to recognize the achievement of peace in Europe, at least give America its due.

Condoleezza Rice Trashes Gerhard Schröder in New Memoir

The 2003 US invasion of Iraq was one of the greatest strategic blunders ever made; we will be paying the price for decades to come. But for the former members of the Bush administration who lied the country into an unnecessary and immoral war, it was a brilliant decision, marred only by the refusal of key international partners to go along with the charade.

In her new self-serving memoir of her years in the Bush White House - No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington - Condoleezza Rice rehashes all the lies concerning the non-existent WMDs, promotion of torture, etc.  - it was a glorious time, indeed.  But some refused to play the game - especially Gerhard Schröder. Towards the end of the book she fantasizes how it might have been had Angela Merkel been the German chancellor as the US marched over the cliff into a disastrous war:

Whenever I met Sarkozy, he greeted me by saying, “I love this woman.” He didn’t mean it literally, of course. But we saw eye to eye on almost everything. I couldn’t help but think how different it might have been to confront the problem of Saddam Hussein with Sarkozy instead of [Jacques] Chirac in the Élysée Palace and Angela Merkel instead of Gerhard Schroeder in Berlin.

Yes, why couldn't the obstinate German be more like the compliant Tony Blair, who, for all of his acomplishments, will forever be remembered as "Bush's Poodle"?  We'll never know if Sarkozy and Merkel would have defied the will of their people and joined Rice, Bush, Rumsfeld & Co. in their illegal adventure as Bush's Schnauzer and (giant) Pug. 

German Left Mourns Killing of Osama bin Laden

Angela Merkel evidently committed a huge faux pas when she expressed joy at the killing of Osama bin Laden by US Navy Seals (Ich freue mich darüber, dass es gelungen ist, Bin Laden zu töten.) In fact, she should have mourned the death of the martyr and condemned President Obama for his "lynch justice". A judge has even accused the chancellor of committing a crime and wants to take her to court.  For the German left, the action by the United States - as well as Angela's Merkel joy - is but a further example of American imperial arrogance.  In their eyes, Obama simply "executed" bin Laden, when he should have been captured and put on trial.  The joy and relief expressed by so many Americans is - in their eyes - disgusting: 

So, wie es niemals angemessen gewesen wäre, über den Fall der Twin Towers zu jubeln und damit den Tod tausender Unschuldiger zu begrüssen, so ist es auch nicht angemessen, jetzt den Tod des mutmaßlichen Drahtziehers zu bejubeln. Nachdem Rechtsstaatlichkeit ja unser selbstgewählter Grundsatz ist, ist ein Verdächtiger so lange unschuldig, bis seine Schuld zweifelsfrei bewiesen und er durch ein ordentliches Gericht verurteilt ist. Eine Verurteilung, auch in absentiam, ist aber bis heute nicht erfolgt.

(Just as it would be wrong to celebrate the collapse of the Twin Towers and the death of thousands of innocents, it is also wrong to celebrate the death of a suspected terrorist.  Under our constitutional law a suspect is presumed innocent until his guilt is proved beyond doubt and he is convicted in a court of law.  There was no conviction in this case - even in absentium. ) 

For the German left, Osama bin Laden posed no danger to the US; rather, he the media "hyped" bin Laden as the personification of evil:

Aber was war er denn? Ein anscheinend persönlich bedürfnisloser Mensch, der seinen ultrakonservativen Gegenentwurf einer zunehmend gleichförmigen, unbedacht gewalttätigen Welt bedacht gewalttätig entgegenstellen wollte.

(But what was he really? A man without any apparent personal needs who wished to confront with violence a violent world with his own ulta-conservative vision.) 

It is eye-opening to read the comments on Der Spiegelfechter, since many of the readers evidently believe that Osama bin Laden had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks: that was an inside job of the Bush administration, possibly with the collaboration of Israel.  So President Obama "murdered" an innocent man.

Typical response by a reader ("sparfuchs")

Ich finde Bin Laden ist immer ein schönes Beispiel dafür, dass man irgendwelche Behauptungen nur oft genug wiederholen muss, damit sie am Ende von fast jedem geglaubt werden.

Bis jetzt ist überhaupt nicht klar bewiesen, dass Bin Laden an den Anschlägen beteiligt war. Seine angebliche Ermordung ist auch schon wieder ein ziemliches Schmierenstück, was zum Himmel stinkt. Allein seine unverzügliche Verklappung im Meer ist schon dermaßen lächerlich, dass es einen nur wundern kann, wie wenige Menschen an dieser Darstellung zweifeln. Aber was in der Zeitung steht wird schon stimmen.

Das anschließende Jubilieren der selbsternannten Rechtsstaaten ist nur ein weiterer Hinweis auf die veblödete und verrohte Gesellschaft, in die uns die kapitalistischen Pseudodemokratien führen.

(Bin Laden is good example of the dictum: if you repeat something enough times people will eventually believe it.

It's never been proven that Bin Laden had anything to do with the attacks.  His alleged murder is just another piece of deception. That he was quickly tossed into the sea is so laughable that hardly anyone even believes it.  But, it's in the paper so it must be true.

The celebration that followed in the so-called constitutional state just shows that it is nothing more than a stupefied and crude society, which wants to show us the way to a capitalistic pseudo-democracy.) 

But not only was bin Laden innocent, he really died already back in December 2001 - 3 months after the Twin Towers attack - according to the anti-American blogger Jochen Hoff:

Aber die USA hatten ja auch das Wunder vollbracht Osama bin Laden nach seinem ersten Tod immer wieder in Propagandafilmchen auferstehen zu lassen, da haben sie natürlich auch das Recht ihn ein zweites Mal sterben zu lassen. Selbstverständlich liegt auch bereits ein Identitätsbeweis durch eine DNA Probe vor. Denn wenn die USA lügen, dann lügen sie großes Kino.

(But the US performed miracles by resurrecting Osama bin Laden after his first death for propaganda films; so they had the rights to let him die a second time.  Of course, they already had the DNA evidence.  For when the US lies they do it in a big way. )

The German left's hatred of America has now reached absurd levels.  The bizarre "theories" would be laughable if they weren't believed by so many.

Responses to the Death of Osama bin Laden

International jubilation at President Obama's surprise announcement last evening that US forces had killed and secured the body of Osama Bin Laden, nearly 10 years after the attack on the World Trade Towers in New York City.

The official reaction in Germany got off to a rocky start when the Steffen Seibert, the spokesman for the chancellor tweeted:

«#Kanzlerin: Obama verantwortlich für Tod tausender Unschuldiger, hat Grundwerte des Islam und aller Religionen verhöhnt

(Chacellor: Obama responsible for the death of thousands of innocents; had ridiculed the basic values of Islam and all religions.)

But he quickly recovered with another statement after the chancellor had congratulated President Obama and expressed her relief (Erleichterung) at the news of his death:

Osama bin Laden war verantwortlich für den Tod tausender unschuldiger Menschen. In seinem direkten Auftrag und in seinem Namen wurde der Terror in viele Länder getragen, er richtet sich gegen Männer, Frauen und Kinder, Christen wie Muslime. Osama bin Laden gab vor, im Namen des Islam zu handeln, in Wirklichkeit jedoch verhöhnte er die Grundwerte seiner und aller anderen Religionen.

(Osama bin Laden was responsbile for the death of thousands of innocent people.  At his direct orders and in his name terror was brought to many countries - terror directed against men, women, children, Christians as well as Muslims. Osama bin Laden pretended to act in the name of Islam; in reality, he ridiculed the basic values of his and all other religions.)

 Germany's foreign minister Guido Westerwelle  also reacted with relief about the news:

"Dass diesem Terroristen sein blutiges Handwerk gelegt werden konnte, ist eine gute Nachricht für alle friedliebenden und freiheitlich denkenden Menschen in der Welt."

("It comes as very good news to all peace-loving and freedom-oriented people in the world that this terrorist can no longer carry out his bloody mission.")

At the same time, Westerwelle cautioned that Bin Laden's deatn would not change Germany's policy in Afghanistan.

Labor minister Ursula von der Leyen said that the news would be a "salve for America's wound" ("Balsam" auf der Wunde der US-Amerikaner).  Anyone who has been to Ground Zero in New York City can only hope that von der Leyen is correct: emotions remain nearly as raw as they were in those terrible days following September 11, 2001.

Still, the jubiliation in Germany was tempered somewhat by concerns of a potential revenge act on German soil.  Just last week, three men who were suspected of belonging to an al-Qaeda cell in Duessldorf were arrested for plotting a major bombing on a public venue.  Markus Guenther tries to rain on the American parade in the Augsberger Allgemeine:

Die Nachricht wird überschätzt. Weder ändert sein Tod etwas an der internationalen Sicherheitslage noch taugt diese Nachricht als Beleg dafür, dass der Kampf gegen den internationalen Terrorismus erfolgreich ist. Dass es gelungen ist, Osama bin Laden zur Strecke zu bringen, mag eine gute Nachricht sein.  Doch von der späten Genugtuung abgesehen, ist die Todesnachricht nichts als eine historische Fußnote.

("Too much is being made of the news. His death does not change the international security situation nor does the news offer any proof that the war on international terror is a success.  Sure, it's good that they succeeded in putting an end to Osama bin Laden.  But other than providing some belated satisfaction the news of the death is nothing but a historical footnote.")

 

WikiLeaks: US State Department's Spot-On Assessment of Westerwelle

WikiLeaks just released 250,000 secret US State Department documents in what promises to be a huge headache for the Obama administration.  The WikiLeaks site is down due to a denial of service attack, so I cannot access anything first hand. The Web-site of Der Spiegel, however, has published several dispatches concerning US-Germany relations.  One cable, in particular, which was sent shortly after the Black-Yellow coalition was formed in the fall of 2009, contains some pretty insightful views on Guido Westerwelle and his fitness as Germanys foreign secretary. They depict an "aggressive" politician who is short on substance, but who habors resentment against Washington due to perceived personal slights by the Americans:

Opinion polls show that Westerwelle's public image has improved substantially in the last year in particular. But, as one well known foreign policy analyst in Berlin told PolOff, he lacks the gravitas and is seen as too opportunistic to be trusted as foreign minister. At the conclusion of his DGAP speech, several MFA desk officers remarked to PolOff that they were not yet persuaded that Westerwelle had the "foreign and security policy expertise necessary" to become a successful Foreign Minister, although they had no doubts about his ability to get up to speed quickly. There was a consensus among desk officers -- driven, perhaps, by political bias -- that Westerwelle was arrogant and too fixated on maintaining his "cult of personality." Negative reaction to his DGAP speech reflects the foreign policy community's skepticism of Westerwelle.

In what is perhaps the most damaging insult imaginable - from an American perspective - the US Embassy officer compares Guido Westerwelle to Dan Quayle, a laughing stock in Washington.  Quayle once tried to compare himself to John F. Kennedy:

Like Dan Quayle in 1992, Westerwelle wants to compare himself to his mentor, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, but in the eyes of the foreign policy community, he is no Genscher. Nevertheless, Westerwelle's world-views have to a large extent been shaped by "Genscherism."

I don't consider the comments about Angela Merkel too damaging. The "Teflon-Merkel" remark merely reveals a grudging admiration for the chancellor's considerable political skills.

Undoubtedly, there will be much to discuss from the leaked documents concerning US-European relations once the WikiLeaks site is back up and we have access.

Gerhard Schröder accuses George W. Bush of lying in memoirs

 

We all know that George W. Bush lied to us and continues to lie in each interview he gives on television to promote his book Decision Points - itself a compendium of half-truths and outright lies.  But it is rare that a head of state would come out an publicly accuse a former US president of lying. That is precisely what the former chancellor of Germany, Gerhard Schröder did today:

BERLIN - Gerhard Schroeder hit back on Tuesday at claims by former U.S. president George W. Bush in his newly released memoirs that the German ex-chancellor had broken his word over support for an invasion of Iraq.

"Former American president Bush is not telling the truth," Schroeder said in a statement.

Bush said in his memoirs that he told Schroeder in an Oval Office meeting in January 2002 he was determined to make diplomacy work but cautioned that while the military option was Washington's last choice, he would use it if necessary.

"What is true of Afghanistan is true of Iraq," Bush quotes Schroeder as saying. "Nations that sponsor terror must face consequences. If you make it fast and make it decisive, I will be with you."

But, Schröder claims, Bush left out an important caveat in his published recollection.

Schroeder confirmed on Tuesday that he had told Bush that he would "stand reliably on the side of the U.S." if it was confirmed that Iraq was sheltering those responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks.

"But this link, as it became clear during 2002, was false and contrived. This goes for reasons (for the invasion) given by Bush and (vice president Dick) Cheney too.

"As we know today, the Bush administration's reasons for the Iraq war were based on lies."

Unlike Tony Blair, Schröderrefused to be Bush's poodle, and thus saved his country from considerable grief.  

George W. is not the only Bush who seems to have it in for Gerhard Schröder.  In her memoir Spoken from the Heart, Laura Bush seemed to blame Schroeder for forcing her husband to invade Iraq:

"I have often wondered if Jacques Chirac of France or Gerhard Schröder of Germany could have done more to prevent the Iraq war, if one of them could have persuaded Saddam to go into exile, if they could have conveyed that the United States was not bluffing."

Laura thus absolves her husband of any responsibility for launching an unnecessary and immoral war.

Cross-posted at Daily Kos. 

President Obama's Message on the 20th Anniversary of the Reunification of East and West Germany

My goodness, has it been 20 years?

Here is the full text of the president's statement:

On Sunday, October 3, the people of the United States join with the people of the Federal Republic of Germany in celebrating the Day of German Unity and the 20th anniversary of the unification of East and West Germany. This was an historic achievement, as Germans peacefully reunited and advanced our shared vision of a Europe whole and free, anchored in the Euro-Atlantic institutions of NATO and the European Union. The United States commemorates today that spirit and the many accomplishments of Germany, one of our closest allies and greatest friends. We pay tribute to the countless contributions Germans have made to our own history and society. We honor the courage and conviction of the German people that brought down the Berlin Wall, ending decades of painful and artificial separation. It unleashed a spirit of hope and joy, and opened the door to unprecedented freedom throughout the European continent and around the world. The American people are proud of our role in defending a free Berlin and in supporting the German people in their quest for human dignity. We remain proud of our partnership with our German allies to advance freedom, prosperity, and stability around the world. We congratulate the people of Germany on this National Day, and we express our gratitude for our vital friendship.

Report on Deutsche Welle:

Anlässlich des offiziellen Festaktes gratulierte auch US-Präsident Barack Obama den Deutschen. In einer Erklärung des Weißen Hauses heißt es, „Wir ehren den Mut und die Überzeugung der Deutschen, die die Berliner Mauer zum Einsturz brachten und Jahrzehnte einer schmerzhaften und künstlichen Trennung beendeten.“

Es handele sich dabei um eine historische Leistung, die Freude und Hoffnung ausgelöst habe. Das Ergebnis der deutschen Einheit sei eine nie dagewesene Freiheit auf dem europäischen Kontinent und in der Welt.

Deutschland zähle zu den engsten Verbündeten und besten Freunden der USA, so Obama weiter. „Wir zollen Anerkennung für die unzähligen Beiträge der Deutschen zu unserer Geschichte und Gesellschaft.“ Die Amerikaner seien stolz auf ihre Rolle bei der Verteidigung eines freien Berlins und auf ihre Unterstützung der Deutschen bei ihrem Streben nach Menschenwürde. „Wir bleiben stolz auf unsere Partnerschaft mit unseren deutschen Alliierten.“

Udo Ulfkotte lies about nuclear weapons in Germany

The journalist and security expert Dr. Udo Ulfkotte continues his hate campaign against President Obama on the Web site of Kopp Verlag, which specializes in right-wing conspiracy theories. While most of the world celebrates the new START treaty between the US and Russia which dramatically decreases the number of nuclear weapons, Ulfkotte writes that the treaty is sham and, in fact, the US will be increasing its nuclear capacity on German soil:

Auf dem Fliegerhorst im Eifeldorf Büchel lagern zwei Dutzend taktische amerikanische Atomwaffen. Die Bundesregierung forderte deren Abzug. Doch stattdessen kommt nun klammheimlich die atomare Aufrüstung in der Eifel. Kein anderer amerikanischer Präsident hat jemals so viel Geld für Kriegsführung ausgegeben wie Friedensnobelpreisträger Barack Obama

(The Americans have stored two dozen tactical at the airbase in the EIfel town of  Büchel. The German government is demanding their removal, but instead a top=secret nuclear build-up is taking place.  No other American president has ever spent so much money on waging war as the Nobe Peace Prize winner Barack Obama).

Aside from the lie that US intends to build up its nuclear arsenal in Germany, Ulfkotte is dishonest in his assertion that the German government has demanded their removal. The most vocal critic of nuclear weapons on German soil has been foreign minister Guido Westerwelle.  Westerwelle has praised the latest disarmament moves by President Obama: 

"President Obama and now the United Nations have pushed the door to a new era of disarmament wide open. Germany, in particular, has to make the most of this opportunity and set an example to the wannabe nuclear states."   

Furthermore, the CDU/CSU have been much more circumspect in making unilateral demands on the US with respect to its nuclear arsenal in recognition of Germany's NATO commitments.  Not all NATO members - the eastern European partners in particular - have such a relaxed view of possible threats from Russia.

Ulfkotte goes on in the piece to lie about US plans to launch a surprise attack on Iran with tactical nukes.  Both left- and right-wing blogs in Germany have been announcing a US nuclear attack on Iran "in the next 60 days" ever since President Obama took office last year.

Besides lying about President Obama's foreign policy, Ulfkkotte recently lied about Barack Obama's "alcoholism".  What is behind Dr. Ulfkotte's hatred of the US president?  Barack Obama embodies the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural ideal which is anathema to Ulfkotte and his fans at Kopp Verlag and Junge Freiheit.  In Ulfkotte's paranoid worldview, blacks, together with Muslims, represent the greatest global threat to Western civilization. A recent piece mocking Obama and American "negroes"  ("Der Neger ist zurück") was followed by an article depicting blacks in Africa as savages. 

German Anti-Americanism II: "US wants to colonize Haiti"

The United States government has undertaken an unprecedented rescue and relief effort to save lives and restore some semblance of order in Haiti.  Much more needs to be done, to be sure: the scope of the tragedy is nearly incomprehensible.  But lives have been saved.  American television networks have broadcast images of Haitians being pulled alive from collapsed buildings through the heroic efforts of American and other international rescue teams.  But you won't read much about these rescue and relief efforts in the German press.  Instead, the German news media seem to be focused on how the US is "occupying" Haiti - as if it were possible to provide food, shelter and medical care without a massive deployment of military assets.

Der Spiegel writes about the race to "colonize" Haiti:  Haiti entwickelt sich wieder zur Kolonie.  Of course, it is the US that is seeking to (re)colonize the island nation:

Die Marines haben bereits Fakten geschaffen, sie halten den Flughafen in der Hauptstadt und haben vor der Küste mit dem Flugzeugträger "USS Carl Vinson" einen weiteren "schwimmenden Landeplatz" geschaffen. (The marines have created facts on the ground.  They control the airport in the capital and have a floating landing strip with the aircraft carrierUSS Carl Vinson off the coast.)

No mention made that the earthquake destroyed the port as well as the airport's control tower. 

Das Beben dürfte nun wieder zu einer verstärkten US-Präsenz in der haitianischen Politik führen. Die USA waren zuletzt 1994 mit 20.000 Mann einmarschiert und hatten den aus dem Amt geputschten Präsidenten Jean Bertrand Aristide wieder eingesetzt. (The quake will no dout lead to a greater US influence on Haiti's poltics.  The US marched 20,000 troops into Haiti in 1994 to reinstate President Betrand Aristide, who had been ousted in a putsch.) 

Google News will take you to this article by the anti-American hate blog Duckhome: The US will occupy Haiti for the long term. 

Die USA setzte gleich einen Flugzeugträger in Fahrt. Vermutlich um den Hunger mit Bomben zu bekämpfen. Selbstverständlich haben die USA auch gleich den einzigen Flughafen übernommen. Freunde wie die USA, also imperialistische Eroberer sind eben so. (The US immediately deployed an aircraft carrier - in order to fight hunger by dropping bombs.  Of course, the US quickly took over the only airport.  Friends like the US - imperlialist conquerors  - always behave like this.) 

Why does the US have imperialist designs on Haiti?  Well, they can create a new military base for threatening Cuba and launching wars against Venezuela and Boliva - while allowing US capitalism to suck the wealth out of the ruined country:

Nun hat der Friedensnobelpreisträger Obama die langfristige Besatzung des Landes angeordnet und wenn die Amerikaner irgendwann wieder abziehen, werden die Menschen in Haiti noch ärmer und noch hoffnungsloser sein. Aber das us-amerikanische Kapital wird sich freuen, neue Militärbasen gegen Kuba und die aufbruchswilligen Länder in Südamerika werden bereit und ein neuer Papa Doc wird dank US-Hilfe an der Macht sein. (Now the Nobel Peace Prize winner Obama has ordered the long-term occupation of the country, and if the Americans ever withdraw the people in Haiti will be even poorer and with any hope.  But this capitalists will rejoice, new military bases against Cuba and unfriendly countries in South America and a new Papa Doc will - thanks to US help - be installed in power.)

The writer goes on to say that since President Obama has "lost" the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is looking for quick military victories in Latin America.

This is what passes as "analysis" these days on the German left.  President Obama was correct when he made the statement while in Europe last spring that " in Europe, there is an anti-Americanism that can be casual but can also be insidious,"