Bush Will Face Opposition From Both Russia and the Vatican

After meetings today between Russia and Germany, it is clear that Bush has lost the support of Vladimir Putin for a military solution in Iraq. Worse yet, it turns out that the new French-German initiative has the support of the Vatican.

Reuters reported late yesterday that:

“Initial reactions from Russia, China and European Union president Greece were positive, (German magazine Der Spiegel) said, while Pope John Paul offered German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer support for the initiative at talks in the Vatican on Friday.”

Today, Reuters reports that meetings between Germany and Russia today yielded a common position:

“Putin said Moscow saw no reason now for the use of force.”

In essence, Bush will now face opposition from France, Germany, Russia, China, and the Pope.

That is politically significant in this country, given all the effort Karl Rove has made to get the American Catholic Church to be an adjunct of the GOP in the last two years.

Update: NATO will not back the Iraqi campaign now either.

Soto

Posted February 09, 2003 05:15 PM | Comments (55)