Germans aren’t too happy with the U.S. arms deals in the making.

From Spiegel:

German newspapers criticized the plan.

Center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“By toppling the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq, the United States indirectly strengthened Iran. Now the US is trying to curtail Iran’s power again. But this will only succeed if the USA, in addition to arming the neighboring states, rediscovers the other half of their old strategy — and conducts direct and comprehensive talks with Tehran.”

Conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

“Washington is once again resorting to the instrument of military cooperation and modern weapons sales to kill several birds with one stone: shore up Israel’s security, maintain established links with allies and not least to counter Iran’s bid to become the predominant power in the Gulf region.”

“America has been noticably quiet for a long time about promoting democracy, which used to be its miracle weapon against the malaise of an Islamic Arab world in which militant Islamism is fermenting.”

“Even if President Bush continues to believe in exporting democracy — his policy is geared towards achieving security and stability in the region in the classic way.”

Left-wing Berliner Zeitung writes:

“This is just the same political approach the US used after the Iranian revolution in 1979 when it armed neighboring Iraq under Saddam Hussein. This rearming didn’t just lead to a long and horrifying war with countless victims on both sides. It also made the dictator Saddam feel strong enough in 1991 to march into Kuwait sand oppose US interests. Bush surely must have learned this lesson: The autocrats ruling the rich oil states can’t be bossed around like the coup generals Washington used to back in Latin America.”

Left-wing Frankfurter Rundschau writes:

“Washington shifted the balance of power with its war in Iraq. Now it’s looking for ways to get the genie back in the bottle: Pushing back Iranian influence in the region is the new leitmotiv of US policy in the Middle East.

“The Bush Administration now thinks it has found a way: massive arms sales to Israel and those Arab regimes that Washington calls moderate. Anyone who believes an arms race in the Middle East is a clever strategy must have given up on alternative strategies. It’s the same kind of logic as trying to put out a fire by pouring oil onto it.”