White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer gestures as he speaks to reporters at the White House briefing room April 2, 2003 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
May 21, 2002
Russell Mokhiber: Ari, does Israel have nuclear weapons?
Ari Fleischer: That's a question you'll have to ask to Israel.
Mokhiber: Do you know, does the administration know, whether they have...
Fleischer: I don't personally know.
Mokhiber: Second question.
Jocshka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, is a member of the Green Party in Germany. The Green Party is going to be demonstrating against the President when he goes to Berlin. In today's Times of London, there is a report that says that "President Bush risks sparking a new row with Europe this week when he calls for Europe's support for expanding his war on terror to include the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein." They cite a poll from Der Spiegel which says that "65 percent of Germans believe that the United States is pursuing its own national interests by taking part in or planning wars around the world."
So, the question is, do you agree that the President risks sparking this row with Europe by calling for the overthrow of Hussein?
Fleischer: The President goes in the spirit of Europe being a democracy and Germany being a democracy, and people taking to the streets in peaceful protest -- they are doing exactly that which unites us, even if it is a point of contention. That's fundamentally why democracies get along so well, because we have a way for people to express themselves, even if it is in opposition to the views of the President of the United States. Very often, you hear an overstatement of about how serious those issues are. I remember very similar critics saying that when the President early in his term -- that he would move beyond the ABM treaty -- the same critics said that this would lead to a renewal of the Cold War and spark an arms race. And in fact, just the opposite has happened, as we will see when the President signs a reduction in offensive weapons in Moscow next week. So, I think the reality is far different from some of the heated rhetorical statements.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Russell Mokhiber
Russell Mokhiber is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate Crime Reporter. He is also founder of singlepayeraction.org, and editor of the website Morgan County USA.
ari & iari fleischergeorge w. bushgermanygreen partyisraelmoscownuclear weaponsrussell mokhibersaddam hussein
Russell Mokhiber: Ari, does Israel have nuclear weapons?
Ari Fleischer: That's a question you'll have to ask to Israel.
Mokhiber: Do you know, does the administration know, whether they have...
Fleischer: I don't personally know.
Mokhiber: Second question.
Jocshka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, is a member of the Green Party in Germany. The Green Party is going to be demonstrating against the President when he goes to Berlin. In today's Times of London, there is a report that says that "President Bush risks sparking a new row with Europe this week when he calls for Europe's support for expanding his war on terror to include the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein." They cite a poll from Der Spiegel which says that "65 percent of Germans believe that the United States is pursuing its own national interests by taking part in or planning wars around the world."
So, the question is, do you agree that the President risks sparking this row with Europe by calling for the overthrow of Hussein?
Fleischer: The President goes in the spirit of Europe being a democracy and Germany being a democracy, and people taking to the streets in peaceful protest -- they are doing exactly that which unites us, even if it is a point of contention. That's fundamentally why democracies get along so well, because we have a way for people to express themselves, even if it is in opposition to the views of the President of the United States. Very often, you hear an overstatement of about how serious those issues are. I remember very similar critics saying that when the President early in his term -- that he would move beyond the ABM treaty -- the same critics said that this would lead to a renewal of the Cold War and spark an arms race. And in fact, just the opposite has happened, as we will see when the President signs a reduction in offensive weapons in Moscow next week. So, I think the reality is far different from some of the heated rhetorical statements.
Russell Mokhiber
Russell Mokhiber is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate Crime Reporter. He is also founder of singlepayeraction.org, and editor of the website Morgan County USA.
Russell Mokhiber: Ari, does Israel have nuclear weapons?
Ari Fleischer: That's a question you'll have to ask to Israel.
Mokhiber: Do you know, does the administration know, whether they have...
Fleischer: I don't personally know.
Mokhiber: Second question.
Jocshka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, is a member of the Green Party in Germany. The Green Party is going to be demonstrating against the President when he goes to Berlin. In today's Times of London, there is a report that says that "President Bush risks sparking a new row with Europe this week when he calls for Europe's support for expanding his war on terror to include the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein." They cite a poll from Der Spiegel which says that "65 percent of Germans believe that the United States is pursuing its own national interests by taking part in or planning wars around the world."
So, the question is, do you agree that the President risks sparking this row with Europe by calling for the overthrow of Hussein?
Fleischer: The President goes in the spirit of Europe being a democracy and Germany being a democracy, and people taking to the streets in peaceful protest -- they are doing exactly that which unites us, even if it is a point of contention. That's fundamentally why democracies get along so well, because we have a way for people to express themselves, even if it is in opposition to the views of the President of the United States. Very often, you hear an overstatement of about how serious those issues are. I remember very similar critics saying that when the President early in his term -- that he would move beyond the ABM treaty -- the same critics said that this would lead to a renewal of the Cold War and spark an arms race. And in fact, just the opposite has happened, as we will see when the President signs a reduction in offensive weapons in Moscow next week. So, I think the reality is far different from some of the heated rhetorical statements.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.