REMARKS BY JOSCHKA FISCHER
GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER

GERMAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

August 7, 2002

Excerpts

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SZ: What, in your view, is there to be said against military intervention in Iraq?

Fischer: Our deep scepticism and thus our rejection stem from our belief that the wrong priority has been set here. Our analysis shows that the threat comes primarily from Islamic terrorism. To date no-one can rule out another major attack. Nor, however, has anyone proved so far that Saddam Hussein has any links with organizations such as al Qaida. The second acute danger is posed by the Middle East conflict. If negotiations are to have any chance of success again, great efforts and concerted international action are essential. And opening up a third conflict without resolving these two problems would involve a great, indeed an almost incalculable, risk.

The Americans still have a score to settle with Iraq.

The questions which prevented George Bush Senior from ordering American troops to advance on Baghdad in the early nineties are still unanswered today. The US has the military means to bring about a change of regime in Iraq by force – but is it aware of the risks? And is it aware that this would result in a completely new order in the Middle East, not only in military but, above all, in political terms? That would possibly mean a US presence in this region for many decades. Whether the Americans are prepared for this is not at all certain. However, if they withdrew their presence too soon then we Europeans would have to take the fatal consequences as the direct neighbours of this region.

How do you assess the threat posed by Saddam Hussein?

Saddam Hussein is an evil dictator and the tormentor of his own people. However, one must see – and the hearing in the US Senate showed this, too – that the containment policy pursued by the United Nations was, on the whole, successful. I do not believe that the threat from Iraq has changed so much that military intervention has now become necessary. Incidentally, you can be certain that if the situation were different then the election campaign would be of secondary importance. If there was a growing or immediate threat to Germany and its population I would devote all my attention to my duties as Federal Foreign Minister. And the same goes for the Chancellor.

The involvement of the Federal Armed Forces would not be in Germany's interests?

This is not about German interests. We must find a joint European position. That will be difficult enough. And Schäuble has not done us any favours there.

Turkey has adopted several substantial amendments to its laws ...

... you could even say historical amendments.

Has Turkey thus moved closer to EU membership?

I would first of all like to ask: is this Europe not fascinating? Without the prospect of EU membership, these amendments would not have been adopted for many decades to come. (...) I do not share the fears which have been stirred up. The important thing now is implementation. But the reforms could prove to be a breakthrough towards the modernization of Turkey. It would be the first Islamic country which succeeded in carrying through this modernization. And now just imagine what this could mean for the entire region. It could in the long term provide an opportunity to break down the modernization barrier in the Arab-Islamic world.

But Turkey now expects negotiations on EU membership to commence.

The EU Commission will have to discuss that. However, it is clear that the criteria for such negotiations have been established and Turkey cannot be given preferential treatment.

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