U.S. envoy slams Germany after reluctance on Hormuz mission

[webfact]

U.S. envoy slams Germany after reluctance on Hormuz mission

 

FILE PHOTO - Richard Grenell U.S. Ambassador to Germany attends the "Rally for Equal Rights at the United Nations (Protesting Anti-Israeli Bias)" aside of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, March 18, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

 

BERLIN (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Germany launched a scathing attack on Chancellor Angela Merkel's government on Thursday for its reluctance to join a naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Europe's biggest economy must assume more global responsibility.

 

Relations between the United States and Germany have soured since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, due to disagreements on a range of issues from defence spending to trade tariffs, the NordStream 2 gas pipeline and Iran.

 

On Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas ruled out German participation in a planned U.S.-led naval mission to the Strait of Hormuz, close to Iran, after the U.S. said it had made a formal request. He said Germany wanted to ease tensions with Iran and everything should be done to avoid an escalation.

 

Expressing frustration about that decision, Ambassador Richard Grenell said Germany had a duty to fulfil and told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper:

"Germany is the biggest economic power in Europe. This success brings global responsibilities."

 

He said the United States had been trying to get support from Germany for weeks for the military mission in the Strait of Hormuz, and that while one minister spoke of looking at the requests, the foreign minister had rejected it.

 

Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer had said in Brussels that Germany was "reviewing" the request, striking a softer tone than Maas.

On the front line of the Cold War, West Germany was one of the United States' closest allies, embraced as a bulwark against Communism after the World War Two defeat of Nazi rule.

 

"America has sacrificed a lot to help Germany remain part of the West," Grenell told the newspaper, adding Americans were paying huge sums for 34,000 soldiers to be stationed in Germany.

 

Grenell has courted controversy since arriving in Berlin last year with his outspoken views and criticism of Germany.

 

On another issue that has caused friction, a U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday passed a bill to slap sanctions on companies, including several German firms, and individuals involved in building the NordStream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.

 

(Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Frances Kerry)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-01

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[thasoss]

how i detest the american government.Always interfering in other countries lives.Go and look after your citizens and stop bothering and telling others what to do.Same goes for the UK,a festering sore on the global stage.

[Tug]

I’m sure the German government would lend a hand if the USA had competent stable leadership and its a problem created by one man Donald trump are we tired of winning yet boys and girls?

[JingerBen]

28 minutes ago, Tug said:

I’m sure the German government would lend a hand if the USA had competent stable leadership and its a problem created by one man Donald trump are we tired of winning yet boys and girls?

It's more than just Donald Trump.

It's another crack in the foundation that has been supporting the US since the end of WWII.

[Joe Mcseismic]

As this was all caused by Trump reversing everything that Obama had accomplished, against the advice of his own generals and allies, then, it's understandable that other countries are wary of getting involved. Why should they?

[stevenl]

" Europe's biggest economy must assume more global responsibility. "

Maybe the world's biggest economy must assume more global responsibility. If they had done that, none of this would have happened. And now ask others to clean up your own mess?

[bristolboy]

On the one hand Trump threatens them with imposing high tariffs on their vehicles, and on the other the adminstration reproaches them for not being helpful. Alienating those who should be your allies much?

And of course, given that the present mess is entirely of Trump's own making, it's dubious that any European nation is going to want to give him much help. At least those with the means to give it.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, bristolboy said:

On the one hand Trump threatens them with imposing high tariffs on their vehicles, and on the other the adminstration reproaches them for not being helpful. Alienating those who should be your allies much?

And of course, given that the present mess is entirely of Trump's own making, it's dubious that any European nation is going to want to give him much help. At least those with the means to give it.

 

Not surprisingly, this is the kind of thing that happens when a bumbling president flippantly alienates many of his country's core and traditional allies for no real purpose other than political grandstanding. 

 

Likewise, show the world repeatedly that you can't be trusted as a reliable, good-faith partner, and the world will respond by not trusting you.

 

[soalbundy]

28 minutes ago, JingerBen said:

It's more than just Donald Trump.

It's another crack in the foundation that has been supporting the US since the end of WWII.

Not surprising considering the Iraq shambles, America berated Germany for keeping out of that as well, turns out they were right to keep their distance when all those weapons of mass destruction didn't turn up.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

33 minutes ago, JingerBen said:

It's more than just Donald Trump.

It's another crack in the foundation that has been supporting the US since the end of WWII.

 

And Putin, Tsar Trump and Moscow Mitch are all quite happy about it!

[smedly]

1 hour ago, thasoss said:

Same goes for the UK,a festering sore on the global stage.

you are taking the piss - right

 

you want me explain about festering sores and who was responsible  over the last 100 years resulting in colossal lost of life, mass extermination and murder on a scale never seen before in all recorded human history - how's that for a festering sore

[soalbundy]

3 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

On the one hand Trump threatens them with imposing high tariffs on their vehicles, and on the other the adminstration reproaches them for not being helpful. Alienating those who should be your allies much?

And of course, given that the present mess is entirely of Trump's own making, it's dubious that any European nation is going to want to give him much help. At least those with the means to give it.

Poodle Britania will, due to "the special relationship" and please can we have a trade deal.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, thasoss said:

how i detest the american government.Always interfering in other countries lives.Go and look after your citizens and stop bothering and telling others what to do.Same goes for the UK,a festering sore on the global stage.

 

So is there any national government you do like??? Russia? Nigeria?  North Korea???

[Morch]

Recalling the recent episode with the UK Ambassador, wonder how well Trump would have received similar criticism from the German Ambassador to the USA - as meted by this guy.

[bristolboy]

Just now, smedly said:

you are taking the piss - right

 

you want me explain about festering sores and who was responsible  over the last 100 years resulting in colossal lost of life, mass extermination and murder on a scale never seen before in all recorded human history - how's that for a festering sore

Your comment about Germany would make sense if that's what germany is still doing. In fact, most of the reproaches it now gets have to do with taking in refugees from very different cultures. Not exactly consonant with past events you are referring to. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Ambassador Richard Grenell

 

It would seem that Ambassador Grenell, other than being openly gay, has been quite the Trumpian diplomat during his brief stay in Germany.... Making enemies and losing friends everywhere he goes...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Grenell#Ambassador_to_Germany
 

Quote

 

The magazine claimed that "Almost all of these sources paint an unflattering portrait of the ambassador, one remarkably similar to Donald Trump, the man who sent him to Berlin.

 

A majority of them describe Grenell as a vain, narcissistic person who dishes out aggressively, but can barely handle criticism." The profile claimed that Grenell is politically isolated in Berlin because of his association with the far-right Alternative for Germany Party, causing the leaders of the mainstream German parties, including the Chancellor herself, to avoid contact with him.

 

 

[thasoss]

16 minutes ago, smedly said:

you are taking the piss - right

 

you want me explain about festering sores and who was responsible  over the last 100 years resulting in colossal lost of life, mass extermination and murder on a scale never seen before in all recorded human history - how's that for a festering sore

no i am not taking the piss smedley...i am deadly serious.

[stevenl]

42 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Poodle Britania will, due to "the special relationship" and please can we have a trade deal.

Sure you can have a trade deal. But since you're very desperate it will be on our conditions. Don't like it, we can always trade under WTO conditions.

[PhonThong]

2 hours ago, thasoss said:

how i detest the american government.Always interfering in other countries lives.Go and look after your citizens and stop bothering and telling others what to do.Same goes for the UK,a festering sore on the global stage.

Did you miss the part where the U.S. is footing the bill to maintain 34,000 troops in Germany for their protection? I think the U.S. has a right to question Germany on participation. I would like to see Trump pull all the troops out of Germany. Let Germany foot the bill for their own defence. 

[soalbundy]

8 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Sure you can have a trade deal. But since you're very desperate it will be on our conditions. Don't like it, we can always trade under WTO conditions.

Please can I have some more sir ?

[Dcheech]

1 hour ago, Tug said:

I’m sure the German government would lend a hand if the USA had competent stable leadership

 The chickens come home to roost, for Prez Donald and his cronies. 

[tomacht8]

1 hour ago, PhonThong said:

Did you miss the part where the U.S. is footing the bill to maintain 34,000 troops in Germany for their protection? I think the U.S. has a right to question Germany on participation. I would like to see Trump pull all the troops out of Germany. Let Germany foot the bill for their own defence. 

That would be nice.

For peace in the world today, Russia is much less a risk than the USA.

Edited August 1, 2019 by tomacht8

[bristolboy]

1 minute ago, tomacht8 said:

That would be nice.

For peace in the world today, Russia is much less a risk than the USA.

Tell that to the Ukrainians, the Georigans, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, and Sweden.

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, thasoss said:

how i detest the american government.Always interfering in other countries lives.Go and look after your citizens and stop bothering and telling others what to do.Same goes for the UK,a festering sore on the global stage.

 

The US, France and the UK, have protected Germany for a long long time. Recent German governments have taken advantage of this by refusing to meet their NATO defense spending commitments. 

 

The German 'economic miracle" has been funded for years by the main Allies. Time Germany started paying it's own way and perhaps even reimbursing some.

 

[Baerboxer]

35 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

That would be nice.

For peace in the world today, Russia is much less a risk than the USA.

 

Germany is at Russia's behest or they'll turn the gas off. 

 

The whole of Eastern Europe is under Russian threat.

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, Tug said:

I’m sure the German government would lend a hand if the USA had competent stable leadership and its a problem created by one man Donald trump are we tired of winning yet boys and girls?

 

Not based on previous action and behavior they wouldn't.

[spidermike007]

Grenell is a hard nosed, super hawkish bully, and a huge fan of Trump. He does his Master's bidding in Germany. No doubt he was encouraged to be obnoxious, as that is the M.O. of his boss. It is the WWF style of foreign policy and diplomacy, if you can call it that at all. 

 

The US is not only not ever going to be great again, it is on the decline, and will continue to decline for decades to come. 

[candide]

1 hour ago, PhonThong said:

Did you miss the part where the U.S. is footing the bill to maintain 34,000 troops in Germany for their protection? I think the U.S. has a right to question Germany on participation. I would like to see Trump pull all the troops out of Germany. Let Germany foot the bill for their own defence. 

It does not seem to be the current policy.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-military-germany/u-s-military-to-send-1500-more-soldiers-to-germany-by-late-2020-idUSKCN1LN299

[Peasandmash]

Germany not supporting Israel and instead taking a pro-Iran stance... This is news? These young journalist have never learnt history... and now with Germany going Muslim what can we expect the lovely Germany people to do next? 

[stevenl]

17 minutes ago, Peasandmash said:

Germany not supporting Israel and instead taking a pro-Iran stance... This is news? These young journalist have never learnt history... and now with Germany going Muslim what can we expect the lovely Germany people to do next? 

Pro-Iran stance? Sorry, it is not us against them, no matter how much some people want you to believe that.