Germans deny signing GOP letter on Iran

Julian Pecquet

BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 03: Roderich Kiesewetter, member of the parliamentary investigation committee into the activities of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) in Germany, gives a statement to the media during a meeting of the commission, on July 3, 2014 in Berlin, Germany. The commission convened following revelations last year that the NSA had for years eavesdropped on the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other leading German and European politicians. Recent documents released by fo — Roderich Kiesewetter, member of the parliamentary investigation committee into the activities of the US National Security Agency in Germany, gives a statement to the media during a meeting of the commission in Berlin, Germany, July 3, 2014. — Getty Images/Adam Berry

A Republican effort to showcase international support for taking a hard line on Iran has backfired after two German lawmakers denied any involvement.

Reps. Doug Lamborn, R-Col., and Randy Weber, R-Tx., circulated a letter to world leaders last month that they claimed had been signed by four European lawmakers. Since then, two of the alleged supporters, German parliamentarians Johann Wadephul and Roderich Kiesewetter, have informed Al-Monitor that they were not involved.

“This letter never came to the attention of Dr. Wadephul nor Mr. Kiesewetter and therefore has not been signed by them,” a Wadephul spokeswoman told Al-Monitor via email. The parliamentarian followed up with a formal letter stating he had “at no time signed nor agreed to support” the letter.

Asked for an explanation, Lamborn’s office shared a follow-up message it has sent around Capitol Hill that blames the error on a “misunderstanding.” A staffer declined to provide any further answers about how the mix-up happened.

Germans deny signing GOP letter on Iran

Two German lawmakers tell Al-Monitor they never even saw the joint letter circulated by hawkish House members.

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