Rumsfeld remark outrages German press

Rumsfeld: in hot water with the Germans

Donald Rumsfeld's latest comments comparing Berlin's attitude to a war on Iraq with that of Cuba and Libya have touched a raw nerve in Germany's press.

There are good reasons to criticize the German position on Iraq, but this is a mixture of tastelessness and insult

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

"Axis of the ignorant" is how the left-leaning Tageszeitung headlines its report.

"Sarcastro" writes Berlin's Tagesspiegel. "Rumsfeld's latest jolt" says the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The Hamburger Morgenpost clearly feels irony is called for: "Hooray, at last we have some friends!"

Mystified

In their commentaries, even Germany's centre-right dailies find it hard to stomach Rumsfeld's opinion.

A friendship must be able to withstand his honesty, but he must be able to take ours as well

Tagesspiegel

The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung says "there are good reasons to criticize the German position on Iraq.. but this is a mixture of tastelessness and insult."

"Verbal jostling just hardens positions even further, because every government has to save face", the paper warns.

The tabloid Bild, which is normally a friend of all things American, is equally mystified. "Government outraged - Rumsfeld compares us with Libya and Cuba" is its headline.

The paper reports "head-shaking" in Chancellor Schroeder's office, and lists politicians from all parties who have rejected the US defence secretary's remarks.

Serious affair

The centre-left Tagesspiegel admires Rumsfeld's "entertainment value".

"A friendship must be able to withstand his honesty", the paper concludes, "but he must be able to take ours as well."

Can we continue to draw our principles from the 20th century - a century of extremes?

Berliner Zeitung

But Berlin's Tageszeitung takes the whole affair more seriously. It sees Germany's arguments against war within the context of "the legal and political order of the world's states".

The paper says the world faces a choice: "US world domination or a multi-voiced concert, mono-centrism or poly-centrism".

The Berliner Zeitung is equally philosophical. "Never again war! Never again Auschwitz! Those are the lessons of German politics", it writes.

"But can we continue to draw our principles from the 20th century - a century of extremes?"

'Outrageous, but true'

Only one major paper - Berlin's Die Welt - shows some understanding for the Rumsfeld comments. "Outrageous, but true", it says.

It warns of even worse to come if Germany votes against a possible second UN resolution on Iraq.

"Berlin's plunge into the company of pariahs, thieves and the usual suspects for anti-American activities would be complete."

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.