When Guido Westerwelle after about eight hours flight time from Berlin in his spacious VIP cabin of Air Force jets "Theodor Heuss" woke up, no good news waited for the German foreign minister. Place to land as scheduled in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, told him the captain Klaus Peter Wegener, Airbus had to dodge some 400 kilometers away Lah.On the basis of spontaneous schedule change could also Guido Westerwelle and his staff change anything. Since the days of dense fog plagued Islamabad. In the morning the visibility was at the airport with only about ten meters. For a safe landing, no matter by whom, but need good air traffic controller 800 meters visibility - as well as helping the VIP status of a minister nothing.
The disappointing message from the captain was the start of an odyssey of the Foreign Minister, reminiscent of the days of the ash cloud from Iceland last year. At that time, several German Minister of the Federal Government were wrong because of the airspace closures by buses, mini-vans and sedans from Europe.
Instead of hours it took days for their trips home, one of them - Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg - was named for his trip from Istanbul to Berlin at all the coolest Minister of all time. Parole waiting But now stood Westerwelle, crisis Pakistan accompanied by an entourage of heavily armed bodyguards, more serious a problem: How should the leaders and his 30-member delegation to travel the 400 miles from Lah to Islamabad - through the middle of a country before the Westerwelle's Office warns impressive all Germans? First of all, the slogan was spent waiting.
Westerwelle retired to his seat, must at some point, the fog so forgive times. The delegation was in the plush "State Lounge shipped in the airport, there usually wait for government members and their guests on the flight. But the display boards were reluctant encouraging news. Almost all flights to Islamabad has been removed, all other compounds were massively delayed.
After about three hours waiting and hoping the decision was made. The German Honorary Consul in Lah organized three rickety mini-buses. In just over three hours, it is hoped, would reach the tour group from Germany but still the goal. Westerwelle himself had presented his trip to Pakistan differently.
The journey to the crisis country should give a clear signal that the top liberal after weeks of continuous criticism of him and his chief role in the FDP, finally, after his force speech on the Three Kings' meeting in Stuttgart, again falling into the real work. There was no specific message to the Pakistanis not.
The captain wanted to show simply that he is back in full force at the wheel. "I would realley like to meet you tonight" "The calculation was to a limited extent. Instead of red carpets and in the magnificent scenery Westerwelle stood in the drafty wind before the airport Lah, the ear is always the mobile phone." Yes, this is Guido again ", he said the Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi on the other end," happen I would really like to meet you tonight, let us see if we can make it.
"Qureshi reassured the foreign minister in a gentle voice. Contrary to Nature could be nothing to make the president stuck even in the south. But before meeting with the counterparts were still hurdles to overcome. First, disappeared the drivers of the buses again and again, then did the police see a weapon list of the BKA officials.
That is rule in Pakistan. At some point took Westerwelle the matter into their own hands. "drive, we should now," said Westerwelle, "or we'll be nothing." Wormholes the bodyguards was made after the first few meters through the dense traffic donkey carts, hopelessly overloaded trucks and countless Toyota Corrollas queasy all at ease.
Such a trip through the middle of one of the most dangerous countries in the world, there has hardly been in the history of the federal government only rarely. The minister took the Odyssey deliberately left. Again and again he peered Afghanistan and his advisor Michael Steiner from the windows of the brown and abundant senile "Coaster mini bus.
Fast stirred observed Westerwelle a dozen children from a poor neighborhood next to the highway at the cricket match. A little later, once the convoy had to stop at a gas station, he won the extreme slowdown in business travel from even positive. In contrast to the normal travel, where races of the top diplomat in the pig gallop through the main cities, he also now see something of the country.
Suddenly it was realized that a minister in front of a colorful truck are the most beautiful photos of his trip to the electorate at home, perhaps. From the promised three hours to reach Islamabad was then nothing. Time held the column for a palaver on the street, then again the driver wanted to buy cheap cigarettes, later went verln parts of improvised escort, because one of the mini-buses out here.
A few sound bites from the beautiful scenery Westerwelle's car was stopped, even if the blue-gray haze clouds were close behind the vehicle to a lack of maintenance. The Minister was bothered by little. Only now and then he asked the driver to turn up the heat a bit, then he went back to the passing landscape of mud brown-colored rivers, slums in the street and the colorfully decorated "jingle trucks," one of the attractions of the chaos the country Pakistan.
The odyssey through the dense traffic ended for Westerwelle 150 kilometers from Islamabad. Frantically the message befitting two jeeps for the minister had sent to a petrol station, then they should pick up the minister and his top officials. Meanwhile had Westerwelle, as if he could not get enough from the chaotic traffic.
Interested, he again visited the colorfully decorated trucks and was in front of the beautiful scenery or a few quick sound bites. Yes, Germany supported Pakistan's efforts against terrorism, the country take a key role in the Afghanistan crisis. All this was not new, but to such visits are not always there.
In the evening, the minister finally managed to reach Islamabad. Quickly, he hurried to a meeting with the Foreign Minister, with whom he had called dozens of times throughout the day. Both insured later before the cameras to the close bond that Pakistan would like to have underscored by some weapons from Germany.
Westerwelle held back for the details. Instead, he repeated the diplomatic rush that Pakistan plays a key role in the fight against terrorism and would continue his fight against the extremists in their own country relentlessly. His program was Westerwelle - rather the diligent staff of the Embassy - in spite of the excitement then save a little.
After he met the foreign minister nor the powerful army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Islamic Republic is still the military on many issues the last word. Thereafter, the Minister still rushed to a dinner, or rather a midnight soup, return to the Foreign Ministry. There he wanted to put his counterpart to the heart, that Pakistan should send in the future, an ambassador to the so-called contact group on Afghanistan.
A positive decision would be at least a little political success of the slightly unfortunate state visit. He said then that he saw progress in the efforts to secure an early release of two German journalists in Iran: "I am very happy that the talks are now quite evident once again a step forward." That's it.
Then tomorrow will Westerwelle See some German aid projects around the capital and also meet the prime minister of the country. Fortunately, one of his employees oints in the late evening, one could achieve these two appointments without an aircraft.
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