some unusually harsh words have come from helmut kohl. in a highly publicized interview, his onetime mentor blasted what he called the government's lack of orientation. he said germany has not been a predictable factor for several years now. we must take care not to gamble everything away. we must urgently return to our former dependability. criticism has also come from conservative lawmakers. many openly question merkel's handling of the debt crisis. >> this is a case where journalists have produced a totally inaccurate reports based on a total misunderstanding. >> angela merkel has countered critics by saying her government is working alongside its partners in europe and the rest of the world to master the challenges of these times. >> the u.s. navy has ordered all of its ships to leave the airport and the state of virginia has a hurricane irene approaches from the caribbean this storm is threatening to bear down on the eastern seaboard in the next couple of days. the system has already pounded the bahamas with strong winds and torrenti

i think helmut kohl is expressing the frustration within his own party, the ruling party, the christian democrats, as well as the german public who are saying, you cannot have it all, i you know? with size and economic%, comes responsibility. we are germany. we are not switzerland. we are part of the european union. we are part of nato. you have to pay tribute to the responsibilities that come with membership. the majority of the german government has been against the u.n. resolution 1973, there would've been no danger to the allies in the security council. this decision will haunt us for not only the next six months, but for years to come. given the statement the german defense minister made in berlin, i am really skeptical that german politics is able and willing to change course in the months to come. we will probably provide more assistance when it comes to the reconstruction, the to release that, to support the european union. in their efforts. a line sooner or later. my foundation, my foundation has put on -- we call this a transformation partnership where we are seeing every tran

collapsed in the early ninety's and italy and france to impose the demands of the master treaty on helmut kohl back and that era. the germans resisted it fiercely initially until the german banks figured out they might become the winners of this new euro concept and then cold shifted his position dramatically toward the end of his tenure but at this point that whole arrangement has has changed we have the financial crisis that was triggered when when the washington refused to bail out lehman brothers september two thousand and eight that has created shock waves around the world and now you have a competition between the euro and the dollar as to which currency is going to go down faster and there is no alternative reserve currency to replace it so. really it's a. the euro wound idea a single bond that underwrites or that is underwritten for all euro zone member countries is simply not coherent with the concepts of national sovereignty which the governments of germany france and the other member countries tenaciously hold on to as i can understand do you think marco and sarkozy i mean they obvi

i think helmut kohl cole is spot on here. he is expressing frustrations within his own party, ruling party, the christian democrats as well as also with parts of the german public who are saying, you can't have it all, you know. with size and with economic success comes responsibility. and this is even more so the case for germany. i mean we are not an upgraded switzerland. which are part of the european union. we are part of nato. and this means you have to, to pay tribute to the responsibilities that come with such membership. and even if the majority of the german government has been against the u.n. resolution 1973, there would have been no damage, no danger at all, to work with our allies in the u.n. security council. and the damage that this decision has caused german politics will haunt us not only for the next months but for the years to come. and we better correct this i think. but given the statement that the germans defense minister made today in berlin and really skeptical that the german foreign politics is willi

and i think helmut kohl is expressing the frustration within his own party, really party, the question democrats as well as also was part of the german public were saying you can't have, have it all. with size and with economic success comes responsibility. and this is even more so the case for germany. i mean, we are not an upgraded switzerland. we are part of the european union. we are part of nato. and this means you have to pay tribute to the responsibilities that come with such membership. and even if the majority of the german government have been against the u.n. resolution 1973, they would have been no damage, no danger at all to vote with our allies in the u.n. security council. and the damage that this has caused german politics will haunt does not own for the next months, but for the years to come. and we better correct this. that given the statement that the german defense minister made today in berlin, i'm really skeptical that the german foreign politics is willing and able to change its course in the next months to come. we will probably provide more assistance when it c