January 17, 2007
"The Middle East, Its Recent History and the Current Situation"
Joschka Fischer
Former German Foreign Minister
Minutes of the 16th Meeting of the 65th Year
At 10:15 AM, President Giordmaine called to order the 16th meeting of the 65th year, of the Old Guard. The invocation was delivered by George Folker. The minutes of the last meeting, including a summary of the talk by Professor Peter Paris on religion and poverty in Africa, were ably prepared and read by Dana Fearon.
The following guests were introduced: Tom Fulmer (by Fred Gelman); Paul Mott (by Phil Dresdner); and William Barger (by Bruce LaBar). Visitors introduced were Allen White ( by John Brinster); and Bernard Miller (by Ruth Miller).
Attendance was estimated at 110 persons.
Joschka Fischer was the speaker of the day. He was introduced by Dick Golden, who informed us that Professor Fischer was born in Germany in 1948 and as a youth became active in left-wing politics. However, he soon became disenchanted with the kidnappings, murder and violence perpetrated by the radical left and changed his position, renouncing violence and embracing compromise and moderation. From 1983 to 1985 he served in the Bundestag ( the lower house of the German parliament). In time he became the leader of Germany’s Green Party and was instrumental in moving that party from the left to the center of the political spectrum. In 1998, a coalition of Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democratic Party and the Green Party defeated the Christian Democratic Party and assumed power in Germany. Professor Fischer was then appointed as Germany’s Foreign Minister.
Although Professor Fischer supported NATO’s military intervention in the Balkans in 1999 and the U.S. – led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, he opposed the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. When then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld came to Munich in early 2003 in order to explain our country’s reasons for overthrowing Saddam Hussein, Professor Fischer exclaimed: “I am not convinced!”
He has been a visiting Professor at Princeton University since September 2006.
Professor Fischer’s topic was the Middle East, its recent history and the current situation there. He started by noting that its importance is self-evident, both to the U.S. and to Europe, particularly to Europe since Europe is in the immediate vicinity.
Since the end of the “Cold War” Europe, especially France, has “drifted” away from the U.S. respecting policy in the region. Europe differs in its policy mainly because, he alleged, Europe understands the history of the area better than does the United States.
We have got to understand that the present middle-east is essentially the creation of Britain and France, which undertook to divide the area immediately after World War I, upon the defeat of Germany and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The boundaries which were drawn then were mostly artificial and are still disputed. See, e.g., the boundaries of Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Although there are long-standing religious and political conflicts in the region, the driving force there for the past 85 or 90 years has been nationalism. Unfortunately, during this time there has been virtually no modernization in most of the countries comprising the region.
The major problem for the West at this time is the huge and rapidly growing young Muslim population which has been indoctrinated with a strong terrorist ideology. Professor Fischer maintained that essential Western policy towards the mideast before September 11, 2001 was to maintain the status quo. The situation since that time has changed dramatically, and the policy of the West must change also, viz., to emphasize to the Arab nations the importance of modernization. However, the West cannot impose its values on the Arabs, since any such efforts would be seen as another Crusade or another variation of colonialism.
Professor Fischer opposed the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003. He did so for the following reasons: (1) insufficient evidence of Iraqi participation in the 9/11 attack; (2) the U.N. inspectors were able to detect Iraqi weapons of mass destruction; (3) the overthrow of the Saddam regime would not result in the democratization of Iraq; and (4) Saddam’s Iraq constituted a containment of Iran, and if Iraq became a failed State, that containment would be weakened or destroyed.
According to Fischer, the paradox for the U.S. respecting Iraq is that if we stay, we can’t win. But – if we leave, the region will become destabilized, chaos and violence will ensue, and the radical regime in Iran will be greatly strengthened.
Professor Fischer’s solution to the problem consists of four elements: (1) attempt to separate Syria from Iran; (2) do everything possible to settle the Israeli – Palestinian conflict, i.e., a two-state solution based on Israel’s 1967 pre-war borders; (3) defend the independence of Lebanon; and (4) try to isolate Iran from the rest of the international community.
(I personally observe here that Fischer’s insistence that Israel return to its pre-1967 borders is unrealistic since the Palestinians have made it abundantly clear on numerous occasions that they do not want – and will not settle for -- a smaller Israel; rather, they want no Israel at all.)
A lively and informative question and answer period followed Professor Fischer’s talk. Among other things, he declared that during the rest of this century Turkey will be at the center of the conflict between the West and Moslem radicalism, and that the defense of Europe will depend largely on Turkey’s continued adherence to the West.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert S. Miller
The following guests were introduced: Tom Fulmer (by Fred Gelman); Paul Mott (by Phil Dresdner); and William Barger (by Bruce LaBar). Visitors introduced were Allen White ( by John Brinster); and Bernard Miller (by Ruth Miller).
Attendance was estimated at 110 persons.
Joschka Fischer was the speaker of the day. He was introduced by Dick Golden, who informed us that Professor Fischer was born in Germany in 1948 and as a youth became active in left-wing politics. However, he soon became disenchanted with the kidnappings, murder and violence perpetrated by the radical left and changed his position, renouncing violence and embracing compromise and moderation. From 1983 to 1985 he served in the Bundestag ( the lower house of the German parliament). In time he became the leader of Germany’s Green Party and was instrumental in moving that party from the left to the center of the political spectrum. In 1998, a coalition of Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democratic Party and the Green Party defeated the Christian Democratic Party and assumed power in Germany. Professor Fischer was then appointed as Germany’s Foreign Minister.
Although Professor Fischer supported NATO’s military intervention in the Balkans in 1999 and the U.S. – led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, he opposed the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. When then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld came to Munich in early 2003 in order to explain our country’s reasons for overthrowing Saddam Hussein, Professor Fischer exclaimed: “I am not convinced!”
He has been a visiting Professor at Princeton University since September 2006.
Professor Fischer’s topic was the Middle East, its recent history and the current situation there. He started by noting that its importance is self-evident, both to the U.S. and to Europe, particularly to Europe since Europe is in the immediate vicinity.
Since the end of the “Cold War” Europe, especially France, has “drifted” away from the U.S. respecting policy in the region. Europe differs in its policy mainly because, he alleged, Europe understands the history of the area better than does the United States.
We have got to understand that the present middle-east is essentially the creation of Britain and France, which undertook to divide the area immediately after World War I, upon the defeat of Germany and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The boundaries which were drawn then were mostly artificial and are still disputed. See, e.g., the boundaries of Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Although there are long-standing religious and political conflicts in the region, the driving force there for the past 85 or 90 years has been nationalism. Unfortunately, during this time there has been virtually no modernization in most of the countries comprising the region.
The major problem for the West at this time is the huge and rapidly growing young Muslim population which has been indoctrinated with a strong terrorist ideology. Professor Fischer maintained that essential Western policy towards the mideast before September 11, 2001 was to maintain the status quo. The situation since that time has changed dramatically, and the policy of the West must change also, viz., to emphasize to the Arab nations the importance of modernization. However, the West cannot impose its values on the Arabs, since any such efforts would be seen as another Crusade or another variation of colonialism.
Professor Fischer opposed the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003. He did so for the following reasons: (1) insufficient evidence of Iraqi participation in the 9/11 attack; (2) the U.N. inspectors were able to detect Iraqi weapons of mass destruction; (3) the overthrow of the Saddam regime would not result in the democratization of Iraq; and (4) Saddam’s Iraq constituted a containment of Iran, and if Iraq became a failed State, that containment would be weakened or destroyed.
According to Fischer, the paradox for the U.S. respecting Iraq is that if we stay, we can’t win. But – if we leave, the region will become destabilized, chaos and violence will ensue, and the radical regime in Iran will be greatly strengthened.
Professor Fischer’s solution to the problem consists of four elements: (1) attempt to separate Syria from Iran; (2) do everything possible to settle the Israeli – Palestinian conflict, i.e., a two-state solution based on Israel’s 1967 pre-war borders; (3) defend the independence of Lebanon; and (4) try to isolate Iran from the rest of the international community.
(I personally observe here that Fischer’s insistence that Israel return to its pre-1967 borders is unrealistic since the Palestinians have made it abundantly clear on numerous occasions that they do not want – and will not settle for -- a smaller Israel; rather, they want no Israel at all.)
A lively and informative question and answer period followed Professor Fischer’s talk. Among other things, he declared that during the rest of this century Turkey will be at the center of the conflict between the West and Moslem radicalism, and that the defense of Europe will depend largely on Turkey’s continued adherence to the West.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert S. Miller