Word: bitburg
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...more important, the Bitburg episode cut deep into the veneer of postwar friendships. Commented Rome's La Repubblica: "The effect has been diametrically opposite to what Reagan and also Kohl had anticipated, leading to the resurgence of old tensions." Up to a point, however, such dredgings can serve as useful reminders of grievances below the surface. Invoking the spirit of West Germany's first postwar Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung editorialized: "You cannot have both good Germans in the alliance and bad Germans as a standard of depravity. That would not only split West Germany but also deprive...
...year's election results." Kohl announced that if the President ran for office in West Germany, "he would be elected with a large majority." One U.S. participant in the talks said, however, that "nothing" new was brought up in the discussions, mainly because the two leaders wanted to get Bitburg behind them before moving on to other business. U.S. officials calculated the upside in another way. Said one American diplomat: "In a nutshell, Kohl really owes us one, and Germans on the official level know that...
There was disagreement over whether Bitburg had hurt the alliance as a whole. Said one U.S. diplomat: "Not only have we not achieved a symbol of reconciliation, but we've cast doubt on something that everyone had counted on for years as a firm friendship." Others were not so sure about the long-range effects. Said a Kohl aide: "We still need each other." One consequence is almost sure to linger, a politically weakened Kohl. Admitted this official: "There will be some wonder over whether this Chancellor is really such a good crisis manager...
...also likely to emerge from the controversy slightly battered. His staff turned in less than stellar performances in preparing and bringing off the trip. Chief of Staff Donald Regan, though brand-new to the White House when the early planning occurred, failed to recognize the seriousness of the Bitburg blunder and to cut the President's losses. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Burt, who is expected to be nominated as the next U.S. Ambassador to West Germany, embarrassed U.S. officials in Bonn by walking out on a press briefing. Evidently angered by a couple of interruptions in his presentation...
...popularity rating dipped noticeably in the last job-performance polls. With his big legislative battles over the budget and tax reform still in front of him, Reagan had doubtless hoped that an interlude of high-visibility statecraft in Europe would provide a boost to his domestic standing. The Bitburg fiasco did precisely the opposite, causing unwelcome distractions and unnecessary embarrassments. The episode could hardly bring the Reaganaut march to a halt, but it will make the going harder...