This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 FRANKFURT 007078 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL GM
SUBJECT: AMERICA IN THE CAMPAIGN: SNAPSHOT FROM SW GERMANY 
 
REF: A. A) FRANKFURT 6748 
     ¶B. B) BERLIN 2988 
 
Sensitive but unclassified; not for Internet distribution 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  In Frankfurt's relatively pro-American 
district, attitudes towards the U.S. and U.S. foreign policy 
appear to play a smaller role in this German election 
campaign 
than in 2002.  While some on the left have tried to raise 
issues 
of war and peace, overall the campaign in our district has 
focused much more on domestic economic issues.  END SUMMARY. 
 
SPD, Greens:  Remember the War In Iraq? 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) At campaign events in post's district, Social 
Democratic 
Party (SPD) representatives including Chancellor Schroeder 
regularly remind the electorate of their administration's 
"no" to 
military participation in Iraq while using a more subtle tone 
than in 2002 (or even at the start of the campaign).  In 
June, 
the Chancellor proclaimed to a thousand party faithful in 
Mainz 
that "nobody should believe" that conservative chancellor 
candidate Angela Merkel will not deploy German soldiers in 
Iraq, 
criticizing her for not opposing the U.S. at the time of the 
Iraq 
invasion.  At rallies later in the campaign, however, 
Schroeder 
acknowledged the conservatives' new tack (i.e., their refusal 
to 
endorse military interventions in Iran and Iraq), commenting 
ironically that "the Lord welcomes every remorseful sinner" 
(Esslingen, August 24).  Schroeder recently told audiences in 
our 
district that while he does not doubt the opposition's desire 
to 
pursue a peaceful foreign policy, he does doubt their ability 
to 
do so. 
 
¶3. (U) Green candidates in our district are often more 
strident 
in criticizing U.S. interventionism.  At the Hesse state 
nominating convention in June, Greens national co-chair 
Claudia 
Roth predicted that Merkel's blind support for the U.S. and 
for 
President Bush would drag Germany into military conflicts, 
noting 
that issues of war and peace are the biggest difference 
between 
the current German administration and the 
conservative/liberal 
opposition.  Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer struck a more 
moderate tone:  in Stuttgart (Sep. 10) and Frankfurt (Sep. 
14), 
Fisher reminded audiences of the threats facing Germany -- 
particularly terrorism and Middle East instability -- and 
reaffirmed German support for the transatlantic alliance but 
underscored that Germany must be able to part ways with the 
United States where U.S. policy is misguided.  "Our decision 
not 
to send troops to Iraq was not an easy one but loyalty to the 
U.S. does not mean following blindly."  (NOTE -- along 
similar 
lines, an SPD campaign poster features the slogan "For Peace 
/ 
Against Blindly Following" -- END NOTE). 
 
Left Party: Lambasting U.S. Policy 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Left Party (Linkspartei) representatives openly 
criticize 
U.S. foreign and environmental policy, but the U.S. is 
usually 
sidelined at their events which focus almost exclusively on 
domestic issues.  At a rally in Mainz (Sep. 9), party 
co-chair 
Oskar Lafontaine called for an end to German participation in 
the 
war in Iraq via U.S. forces who use bases in Germany. 
Lafontaine 
called on the government to respect former Chancellor Willy 
Brandt's desire that Germany wage no more wars from within 
its 
borders and has stated repeatedly that Germany will not be 
fully 
sovereign until all American bases and soldiers have left the 
country (ref B).  Arguing that the West's military actions in 
the 
Middle East only create more terrorists, Lafontaine railed 
against U.S. policy, proclaiming that young German soldiers 
should not die for oil.  While Left representatives express 
sympathy for the victims of Hurricane Katrina -- at a rally 
in 
Frankfurt (Sep. 2), co-chair Gregor Gysi said "we need to 
help 
the Americans, because they helped us so often before" -- 
they 
also blame the storm and rising energy prices on alleged U.S. 
failure to tackle issues of climate change and energy 
consumption. 
Conservatives: Focus on Turkey more than Transatlantic Ties 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶5. (U) At campaign events, Christian Democratic (CDU) 
candidates 
stressed the importance of the transatlantic relationship but 
downplayed the prospect of German participation in further 
military operations, focusing on other foreign policy issues 
such 
as Turkey and Russia.  At a rally in southern 
Baden-Wuerttemberg 
(Sep. 13), Wolfgang Schaeuble (deputy head of the CDU/CSU 
Bundestag caucus) said that a CDU/CSU/FDP coalition would 
seek 
better ties to the U.S., but focused on European politics, 
criticizing Schroeder's Paris-Berlin-Moscow axis which it 
sees as 
alienating other European countries.  Opposition to Turkey's 
EU 
accession (by offering a "privileged partnership") is a 
frequent 
refrain:  Merkel declared in Stuttgart (Sep. 14) that 
"Schroeder 
has asked all Germans of Turkish decent to vote SPD ... 
therefore I ask all Germans who prefer a privileged 
partnership 
with Turkey to vote CDU." 
 
¶6. (U) This cable has been coordinated with Embassy Berlin. 
BODDE