Germany says Rumsfeld must go

BERLIN – Leaders of Germany’s ruling coalition called for the resignation of US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld yesterday, warning the West would be held collectively accountable for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

But no members of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s centre-left government joined in the chorus urging Rumsfeld to step down. Franz Muentefering, chairman of Schoeder’s Social Democrats, and the SPD’s foreign policy expert in parliament, Gernot Erler, said Rumsfeld should leave office.Erler told German Radio it was “completely warranted” for Rumsfeld to resign.”In any case the whole chain of command has to be held accountable,” Erler said.Muentefering, speaking on N24 television, said:”I know that if this involved Germany I would see to it that a personnel change would be made.”The leader of the SPD’s junior coalition partners, the Greens, had demanded Rumsfeld quit last week.The remarks from the SPD and Greens leaders are a break with the usual diplomatic protocol of not interfering in the internal politics of a close ally, although neither Schroeder nor Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer have made any comments on Rumsfeld.Rumsfeld has taken responsibility for the abuse of prisoners by US troops and offered his “deepest apology”, but said he would not resign just to satisfy his political enemies.- Nampa-ReutersFranz Muentefering, chairman of Schoeder’s Social Democrats, and the SPD’s foreign policy expert in parliament, Gernot Erler, said Rumsfeld should leave office.Erler told German Radio it was “completely warranted” for Rumsfeld to resign.”In any case the whole chain of command has to be held accountable,” Erler said.Muentefering, speaking on N24 television, said:”I know that if this involved Germany I would see to it that a personnel change would be made.”The leader of the SPD’s junior coalition partners, the Greens, had demanded Rumsfeld quit last week.The remarks from the SPD and Greens leaders are a break with the usual diplomatic protocol of not interfering in the internal politics of a close ally, although neither Schroeder nor Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer have made any comments on Rumsfeld.Rumsfeld has taken responsibility for the abuse of prisoners by US troops and offered his “deepest apology”, but said he would not resign just to satisfy his political enemies.- Nampa-Reuters