Picture: a Iraqi child kisses an US Soldier.
AUSTRIA - Vienna, May 5th, 2003
Dear Mr. President,
A few days ago you closed a crucial chapter of your presidency last night by declaring victory in Iraq aboard an aircraft carrier returning combat forces to the United States.
I watched and listen to your speech that very night on an American TV channel live.
Thank you Mr. President, America and the allied forces for the victory in Iraq and for liberating the Iraqi people.
I know you are a very busy President and I have no idea if you got to read my first letter, when the war started.
I proudly want to tell you that I got many wonderful responses from my mailing campaign.
I sent copies of my open letter to 600 important email addresses around the world.
This included ALL political parties in the US (except the Nazi party). To 70 US Senators and the same number of US Congressman and Congresswoman. To the: presidentialprayerteam.org - To US soldiers on the website. American/German clubs and associations in the U.S. and in Germany.
To all German political parties, PM Toni Blair and PM John Howard in Australia.
It included many newspapers in the US, to all US and British Embassies in Germany, and the US Embassy in Vienna. I sent as well to other forums and friends.
On 2nd May 2003, I got an encouraging response from the spokesman for Ministerpresident Dr. Edmund Stoiber. As you well know he is the head of the German main opposition party, the CSU (Christian-Social Union of Bavaria). Mr. Stoiber, unfortunately lost last year October 2002 election, during the run up against chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
Here is the letter from the CSU (Christian-Social Union) spokesman, Dr. Hans-Eckhard Sommer:
English translation:
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Dear Mr. Schawaller
Minister President Dr. Edmund Stoiber asked me to convey his thank to you for your e-mails from April 17th and May 1st. With great interest did he take note how much effort you made to put the image of Germany in the USA into a better light by writing to the American President. The reactions to your open letter which was published on the internet are remarkable.
Germany cannot do without the friendship and close partnership with the USA - also in the future!
With best wishes,
Dr. Hans-Eckhard Sommer
Persönlicher Referent des Vorsitzenden CSU-Landesleitung, Franz Josef Strauß-Haus
80335 München
Original E-mail message:
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-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Sommer, Hans [mailto:mailto:Hans.Sommer@csu-bayern.de]
Gesendet: Freitag, 2. Mai 2003 17:12 An: wolfgang.schawaller@chello.at
Betreff: Brief an Präsident Bush
Sehr geehrter Herr Schawaller,
der Vorsitzende der CSU, Ministerpräsident Dr. Edmund Stoiber, lässt Ihnen für Ihre E-Mails vom 17. April und 1. Mai recht herzlich danken. Mit Interesse hat er zur Kenntnis genommen, wie Sie sich mit Ihrem Schreiben an den amerikanischen Präsidenten bemühen, das Deutschland-Bild in den USA ein wenig zurecht zu rücken. Die Reaktionen auf Ihren im Internet veröffentlichen offenen Brief sind bemerkenswert.
Auf die Freundschaft und enge Partnerschaft mit den USA kann Deutschland auch in Zukunft nicht verzichten!
Mit freundlichen Grüßen.
Dr. Hans-Eckhard Sommer
Persönlicher Referent des Vorsitzenden CSU-Landesleitung,
Franz Josef Strauß-Haus 80335 München
The very day the war started I felt so strongly it will be a short war. When at the end of the 21st day the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad fell, I couldn't hold back my tears, and I thanked God in heaven for this quick victory
Mr. President, today I'm glad I wrote as a private German citizen a letter to you.
You may have asked why I did this mailing campaign?
My answer is very simple: the relationship between your country and my country Germany were deteriorating long before the war started, due to my German socialist government handling this Iraq crisis.
I’ m an individual German and my intention is to contribute, to repair the damage my government caused as good as I can.
Thank you for letting me express my thoughts to you.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Yours sincerely,
Wolfgang Schawaller