Redstate

By Mark Kilmer Posted in Breaking News — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

The French wire AFP tells us about Rummy in Munich. He spoke conceptually, which must have driven the natives, or at least the press covering them, batty.

"The mission defines the coalition, but were you to reverse it and say the coalition defines the mission, that would have meant nothing would have happened in Liberia if you're talking about that NATO coalition, or Haiti or any number of other activities," Rumsfeld said.

"Our unity need not be a uniformity of tactics or views, but rather a union of purpose. Those who cherish free political systems and free economic systems share similar hopes."

The idea is one of a NATO with members which act to uphold common goals, not a force which monolithically plods about passing resolutions and joint actions with waivers.

He spoke of the common enemy of "Radical Islamists" which seek "to impose the totalitarian rule George Orwell described as 'a boot stomping on a human face - forever.'" He praised NATO in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Of course, some Germans want to put him on trial for Abu Ghraib, and he has been indicted over there, but he was assured he would not be hauled off if he spoke.

Two years ago at this conference, he dismissed France and Germany as "Old Europe" nations because of their refusal to join the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Rumsfeld joked at the start of his speech on Saturday: "When I first mentioned I might be travelling in France and Germany it raised some eyebrows.

"One wag said it ought to be an interesting trip after all that has been said. I thought for a moment and then I replied: 'Oh, that was the old Rumsfeld'".

Don't read too much into that. The French wire, headlining the piece online "'New' Rumsfeld calls for transatlantic unity," seemed to take it as a feeble attempt at an apology of sorts. It might have been an admission that he had been asked to watch his words, but he still believes in "new Europe" and "old Europe" as stated two years ago. He was right, and he would probably be the first to admit it.