FROM EACH ACCORDING TO HIS ABILITIES:

Germany willing to give aid after Iraq war-Spiegel (Kerstin Gehmlich, 3/15/03, Reuters)

Germany, one of the strongest opponents of a war in Iraq, is willing to provide financial aid and up to 1,000 soldiers for peace missions and reconstruction work after a possible conflict, a magazine said on Saturday.

Germany has so far avoided making clear statements about humanitarian support after a war, saying it believes in a peaceful solution and such discussion would encourage the belief that war had already been decided on.

Der Spiegel news weekly said the government was discussing options for an aid programme by a publicly-owned reconstruction bank and for sending up to 1,000 troops to the region as part of a peace mission.

The Foreign Ministry said it would not comment on the report, but referred to an interview given by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to ARD television on Friday.

Asked what Germany was prepared to do after a war, Schroeder said: "Within the framework of the United Nations, it will always be possible talk with Germany. The United Nations will always be able to count on Germany." He did not elaborate.

In an advance of its report, Spiegel quoted a cabinet member as saying that, if the U.N. sought support from Berlin after a war, Germany could hardly refuse it.

So what's all the fuss about? It's not like they'd be any use in the war itself. The role of following the elephant and cleaning up its scat seems uniquely suited to the Franco-Germans. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 15, 2003 8:14 AM