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Posts will be few and brief until tomorrow morning. But do take a look at this article at the Deutsche Welle website about a brewing scandal in Germany. A news report alleged that the German government had held back its own intelligence about possible stockpiles of smallpox in Iraq. The idea being that they would hold it back during last summer’s election to sustain the government’s opposition to US policy on regime change. Look at the response from two German government ministers, however, as reported by Deutsche Welle

In the interviews, two German government ministers let readers know that there is little danger now that that [sic] American-hating terrorists could unleash the small-pox virus on the German population.

For a number of reasons, I think it’s very unlikely that the Iraqis have weaponized smallpox or any smallpox for that matter. I certainly hope not. And I’m curious to hear more about just what these ministers said, the precise quotations and context and so forth. But, as it reads, that quote really does tend to confirm the least generous interpretation of German motivations in the current situation: why stick our necks out when it’s the Americans who are going to take the hit anyway?

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