Nizark
01-30-2004, 04:00 PM
This is a good one
Jan 30, 2004
Belgian Minister's Comment Provoke New US-Belgium Spat
By Paul Ames
Associated Press Writer
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Belgium's prime minister reprimanded his defense minister for criticizing U.S. politics and saying he would vote Democrat if he were American, officials said Friday.
Defense Minister Andre Flahaut made the comments in an interview with the weekly magazine Humo. He also told Humo that the U.S. military was not as efficient as it should be.
His comments provoked a complaint from Secretary of State Colin Powell, Belgian officials said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Belgian official said that Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt told Flahaut in a letter that his comments "were not very well chosen when speaking about an ally."
Flahaut rejected the complaint. "Aren't I allowed to have a political opinion?" he said on RTL-TVI television.
Belgium was a vocal opponent of the Iraq war but has since tried to repair relations with the United States. Washington was also incensed by a series of Iraq-linked court complaints brought against U.S. officials - including Powell and President Bush - under a Belgian law that allowed prosecutions for war crimes committed outside its territory.
Under U.S. pressure, Verhofstadt pushed through changes to the law, and the charges were thrown out.
AP-ES-01-30-04 1541EST
This story can be found at: http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAE1E3Q2QD.html
Jan 30, 2004
Belgian Minister's Comment Provoke New US-Belgium Spat
By Paul Ames
Associated Press Writer
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Belgium's prime minister reprimanded his defense minister for criticizing U.S. politics and saying he would vote Democrat if he were American, officials said Friday.
Defense Minister Andre Flahaut made the comments in an interview with the weekly magazine Humo. He also told Humo that the U.S. military was not as efficient as it should be.
His comments provoked a complaint from Secretary of State Colin Powell, Belgian officials said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Belgian official said that Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt told Flahaut in a letter that his comments "were not very well chosen when speaking about an ally."
Flahaut rejected the complaint. "Aren't I allowed to have a political opinion?" he said on RTL-TVI television.
Belgium was a vocal opponent of the Iraq war but has since tried to repair relations with the United States. Washington was also incensed by a series of Iraq-linked court complaints brought against U.S. officials - including Powell and President Bush - under a Belgian law that allowed prosecutions for war crimes committed outside its territory.
Under U.S. pressure, Verhofstadt pushed through changes to the law, and the charges were thrown out.
AP-ES-01-30-04 1541EST
This story can be found at: http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAE1E3Q2QD.html