Europe as joke

??????? ?????? wrote:

For the rebuilding of Iraq, the United States has pledged $20 billion,
Japan has pledged $1.5 billion, and the European Union has pledged
$235 million.

How can anyone take Europe seriously as a force in the world?

Why should they pay for what the US broke? You see, if Europe begin to shell
out for every country the US invades, it might become a pattern. If Mr. Bush
does not know how best to blow his mint, let him donate those billions he
spends on war in iraq to some charity.

Saddam Hussein broke Iraq!

The US is going to try to put it back together. Not certain it will succeed,
in which case, it will be a bigger mess for a time than it was before. But
if it does work, could be something of real national pride like the Marshall
Plan.

Ivan the Bear
=Nothing per-r-rsonal, just business=

Glad to see you back here Ivan, even if you are on the wrong side of the
fence on the Iraq issue.


SMH

Cub Driver wrote in message . ..
For the rebuilding of Iraq, the United States has pledged $20 billion,
Japan has pledged $1.5 billion, and the European Union has pledged
$235 million.


What the EU has pledged does not include what individual members
pledge as well, googling about a bit:

$835m from Britain
$300m from Spain
$174m from Italy
$110m from Germany
$32.6m from Sweden
$5.9m from Belgium

with the $235m from the EU you get a total of about $1.7 billion. Not
the same as $20 Billion but better than $235m.

The 2002 EU budget for foreign aid was only $785m so guessing $235m
would be about the most they can do with out rearranging the 2003
budget which would probably take years to agree.

Couldn't find anything on French contributions.

Cheers

Gareth

We didn't ask Clinton and the US to intervene.

Not true. In fact, not only did Clinton recieve numerous phone calls from
European leaders, several nations made public statements that tied the
existance of NATO to action in Yugoslavia.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

How many americans in the Balkans?

Just a guess, but including support forces, between 5,000 and 7,500.

How many in Iraq?

Around 100,000

It is not indispensable for you to stay in the Balkans,military or
economically.

Tell that to European nations involved there. When Presidential hopeful George
W. Bush suggested removing those forces, Europe went nuts. In my opinion, his
suggestion to remove US forces from KFOR and SFOR was the reason he so quickly
got a bad name in Europe.

We could perfectly remplace you there

Then why such an outcry when US withdrawl is suggested?

and we are already more numerous.

More numerous and more effective do not always equate.



You stay in the Balkans because you want it

Wrong. Everyone from the President on down to Army company commanders would
prefer to leave the Balkans. We stay because European nations ask that we
stay.

because in fact it is not US
staying in the Balkans but Nato.

So there has been a constant deployment of Belgians in the Balkans since 1995?
Dutch? Just because NATO is there, doesn't mean all 19 nations need to keep
forces there *permenantly*.

You want to leave Nato???!!!

Me personally? Yes. Unfortunately, I'm not a congressman, senator or President
and able to impact that call.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"