By The Prowler on 8.22.05 @ 12:08AM
To the appropriately named Bismarck, North Dakota -- but with U.S. support and cooperation.
KIEP THE FAITH
Atlantik-Bruke, a Berlin-based organization that professes close
ties to the United States, but in the past has associated itself
with a German politician who has been accused of spouting
anti-Semitic rhetoric, is sponsoring a conference in the U.S. with
decidedly anti-American overtones.
According to several attendees who are traveling from New York
to the Bismarck, North Dakota event later this week, the conference
features sessions on such topics as "The United States of America:
Hyperpower or Hyped-Up Power?"; "American Leadership: Leading
Where?"; "American Power: Overstretched?"; "American Economy: On
Thin Ice?"; "American Society and Politics: Too Polarized?"; and
"The European Union: Ever More Perfect?"
According to a draft program distributed to attendees last week,
two different CNN news producers are leading separate anti-America
sessions, with another such session featuring a presentation by a
professional staffer on the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations
Committee.
"I can't believe anyone in a position of influence, would commit
to something like this given where our relations have been with the
Germans of late," says a Republican leadership staffer in the
Senate. "Regardless of who is sponsoring or where it is, we're all
under orders to select these kinds of programs carefully. Perhaps
they weren't aware of the programming, but depending on what is
said, this could be embarrassing."
The four day event also features prominently one Walter
Leisler Kiep, who spent time under house arrest for his
role in a campaign finance scandal related to former German
chancellor Helmut Kohl. Kiep is identified in the
program as "honorary chairman" of the Atlantik-Bruke, and is the
opening night speaker.
The group also prominently features several Republican guests,
including a state senator and local real estate agent, Dave
Weiler, and an appearance by North Dakota Gov.
John Hoeven. It isn't clear that either was aware
of the decidedly anti-American slant of the program in their home
state, and neither is participating as a delegate. Instead, both
are making one-time appearances.
Most embarrassing to U.S. officials is the participation of
several mid-level military officers in the program. According to a
Department of Defense ethics official, the travel to the program
was approved before the agenda had been released. "We're going to
have to look at this one again, I think," says the official who
requested anonymity.
The American delegation runs decidedly liberal -- it features a
mid-level staffer of the Democratic consulting firm, the Glover
Park Group, CNN producers, a professional staffer from the United
Nations, and a legislative assistant to Democratic Rep.
Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), a vociferous Bush
Administration critic who has called for the resignation of senior
Bush adviser Karl Rove, and who opposed the recent
Central American Free Trade Agreement -- but no Republican
congressional or Bush administration representatives.
The anti-American slant of the program only rubs salt in the
wound. Many of the delegates, according to the New York-based
attendee, were asked to pay their own way to bash their
country.
topics:
Trade, Military, European Union, NATO
