Germany's ruling Social Democrats urge conference on Iraq
Iraq-Germany, Politics, 1/13/2007

Germany's co-governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) has rejected the latest Iraq strategy of US President George W. Bush, while calling for a regional Iraq peace conference which would include Iran and Turkey, the online site of the weekly Der Spiegel magazine reported today.

"Instead of sending more troops (to Iraq), Washington should convene a peace conference," said an influential member of the SPD, Martin Schulz who heads also the Social Democratic faction in the European Parliament.

He was referring to Bush's plan to deploy additional 20,000 American troops in Iraq in a desperate bid to help stabilize the war-stricken country.

Schulz stressed that Iraq's neighbors like Turkey and Iran should be invited to attend the peace conference.

The SPD leader lashed out at Bush's new Iraq strategy, saying it was "nothing more than a continuation of a failed policy which will not lead to more security but to more violence." German politicians have voiced deep skepticism over Bush's revised Iraq plans.

Germany strongly rejected the 2003 Iraq war, arguing it would result in a long-term destabilization of the Middle East region.

Another German and a leading member of the European Parliament, Angelika Beer, denounced the raid by US occupation forces on the Iranian consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil on Thursday.

Beer said the Kurdish government in northern Iraq has enough forces and if there was a problem they are able to tackle it. The raid by the US forces on the Iranian consulate is a kind of aggression which complicates the situation, said Beer who is chairperson of the Delegation for Relations with Iran in the EP.

"We cannot agree with this," said the German MEP for the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance. Beer who is also a member of EP Committee on Foreign Affairs criticized the new Iraq strategy announced on Wednesday by US President George Bush as "a very bad strategy." "Our hope was that they would withdraw from Iraq. They have not learnt from the mistake of the past," she added.

Previous Stories:
  Germany says 'no' to US request for military trainers in Iraq   (6/9/2006)
  Berlin concerned over fate of its kidnapped in Iraq   (2/2/2006)
  Germany denies its secret service assisted US in Iraq war   (1/12/2006)

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