Merkel: “(…) first, the danger from Iraq is not fictitious but real. Second, working not against but jointly with the United States, Europe must take more responsibility for maintaining international pressure on Saddam Hussein. As is argued in the EU summit declaration, this means advocating military force as the last resort in implementing U.N. resolutions. (…) while military force cannot be the normal continuation of politics by other means, it must never be ruled out, or even merely questioned (…) how we find appropriate answers to the new threats of our time. Will it be alone or together, with determination or in despair, with our partners or against them? (…) There is no acceptable alternative to this way forward at the beginning of this new epoch.” [Washington Post. 20.Feb. 2003]

KRIEGSBEGINN: Keinen ganzen Monat später!