Posted on 09/24/2003 7:58:14 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Bush Declares End to Differences with Germany VOA News 24 Sep 2003, 13:58 UTC
U.S. President George Bush says "our differences are over" after meeting with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder for their first direct talks since their bitter dispute over the Iraq war last year. The meeting came on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where several world leaders Tuesday criticized the Bush administration's doctrine of pre-emptive war in the face of perceived threats.
Before the meeting, observers said Mr. Bush and Mr. Schroeder were both likely to try to improve strained relations. Germany has firmly ruled out sending troops to Iraq, but the chancellor was expected to offer Mr. Bush assistance in training Iraqi police and an expanded German peacekeeping role in Afghanistan.
Chancellor Schroeder is to address the assembly later today, and is expected to call for a greater role for the United Nations in rebuilding Iraq. He is also expected to be less strident in his language than his close ally, French President Jacques Chirac was Tuesday. Mr. Chirac condemned the Bush administration for taking international law into its own hands in invading Iraq without authorization by the U.N. Security Council.
Tuesday, Mr. Bush asked United Nations member states to set aside past differences over the Iraq war and work together to rebuild the country. The president said he knows some countries disapproved of the war. But he said U.N. members should now work together and assist Iraq in developing a constitution, training civil servants and conducting fair elections.
Mr. Bush's talks with Mr. Schroeder come one day after similar discussions with the French president. France and Germany led the opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Mr. Chirac said after his talks with President Bush that the two leaders have a common goal of rebuilding Iraq but differ as to how to do it.
Following his talks with Mr. Bush, the German chancellor will meet with Mr. Chirac and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow also opposed military action in Iraq.
Mr. Bush is also scheduled to hold meetings with the leaders of India, Pakistan, Ghana and Mozambique today in New York.
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