Actually, Attorney General Gonzales did so.
Germany is simply not serious about the war in Islamic terror. Presumably someone in the German government weighed the inevitable damage to German-U.S. relations and decided that whatever they were getting for it was worth the cost. We are told that wasn't freedom for the German hostage. What, then?
As to the damage in relations, so what? Germany is in no danger of American retaliation and laughs at our displeasure. We have always forgiven this sort of slap in the face and we will forgive this one as well.