[PEN-L:6775] German Greens Back NATO Airstrikes

[Robert Naiman <naimanr@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

May 13, 1999

          German Greens Back NATO Airstrikes


          By The Associated Press

          BIELEFELD, Germany (AP) -- Germany's foreign minister won backing
          today for continued NATO airstrikes on Yugoslavia at an emotionally
          charged congress of his Green party that had threatened to break up the
          governing coalition.

          After a tumultuous, daylong special congress, delegates voted 444-318
          for a motion backed by Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and the party's
          national executive.

          The motion said it was ``extremely doubtful'' that Yugoslav President
          Slobodan Milosevic ``would be ready to negotiate without facing
          pressure.''

          In a bow to widespread pacifist sentiment that has split the Greens --
          Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's junior coalition partner in the
          6-month-old government -- the motion also urges NATO to declare a
          temporary suspension of the bombing to see if Milosevic is ready to end
          his forces' campaign against Kosovo Albanians and start a troop
          withdrawal.

          Despite some criticism of the NATO bombing, Greens leaders had said
          before the congress that the motion would allow Fischer enough leeway
          to continue his policy within the government.

          Leftist peace protesters had disrupted the party congress from the start,
          forming a human chain around the building to prevent delegates from
          entering, chanting slogans and waving pictures of Schroeder and Fischer
          with Hitler mustaches.

          One demonstrator threw red paint at Fischer and another paraded in
          front of the dais naked. Stunned and furious, Fischer wiped paint from his
          face and neck with a paper towel as guards expelled the protesters.
          Police said 57 demonstrators were arrested.

          An angry, impassioned Fischer implored his party to support NATO,
          hinting that he would quit if delegates backed the cease-fire. He warned
          of further bloodshed in the Balkans if NATO gives in to Milosevic.

          ``I plead with you to help me and give me your support -- and not cut me
          off at the knees -- so I can emerge from this congress strengthened and
          can continue our policy,'' he shouted, prompting cheers, a three-minute
          standing ovation and a few jeers from the 800 delegates.

          Fischer, the highest-ranking Green, has warned his party that adopting
          the anti-war activists' stand would likely break up Germany's center-left
          government by forcing Schroeder and his Social Democrats to seek
          another partner.

          A government collapse would be a blow to NATO unity as the alliance
          tries to bomb Milosevic into accepting a peace plan for Kosovo, a
          southern province of Yugoslavia. Schroeder and Fischer have staunchly
          supported the war.

          Greens leaders are mostly pragmatists who support Fischer. They
          acknowledge that their efforts to unite the party behind him were
          complicated by NATO's bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade
          and Yugoslavia's announcement of a partial troop pullout from Kosovo.

          Party co-chairwoman Antje Radcke pleaded with the 800 delegates to
          support Fischer's camp and work for peace from inside the government.
          ``Let's not play Russian roulette'' with the coalition, she said.

          But it was a leading pacifist, Annelie Buntenbach, who received cheers
          and a standing ovation after attacking the ``spiral of escalation'' by
          NATO and declaring: ``War is not an option.''

          ``Stopping the bombing is a precondition for giving diplomacy a chance,''
          she said. ``After seven weeks, I must ask what this war has achieved.''

          Schroeder has expressed confidence the Greens would show ``common
          sense'' during their meeting in the northwestern city of Bielefeld. ``First,
          the foreign minister will not resign, and second, there is no government
          crisis,'' he said during a visit to China.

          Fear of a wavering Germany has helped prompt a flurry of high-level
          diplomacy, including a visit by President Clinton last week to bolster
          Schroeder.

          Leftists in Schroeder's coalition have been raising doubts for weeks
          about the logic of NATO's air war, which involves Germany's first
          combat since World War II.

          A key pacifist motion -- one of dozens at the Greens congress -- would
          force the party's lawmakers to work for a unilateral stop to the bombing
          and a resumption of peace talks, a strategy NATO governments reject.

          Yet, even a leading pacifist has appeared to soften. Lawmaker Christian
          Stroebele, co-author of one anti-war resolution, insisted Wednesday he
          didn't want to bring down the coalition.

          Founded in 1980 by peace activists and environmentalists, the Greens
          last fall joined the ruling coalition for the first time.
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Robert Naiman <naimanr@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Preamble Center
1737 21st NW
Washington, DC 20009
phone: 202-265-3263
fax:   202-265-3647
http://www.preamble.org/
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