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Germany's Merkel says Guantanamo should be shut
Reuters ^ | January 7, 2006 | Karin Strohecker

Posted on 01/07/2006 6:08:02 AM PST by mcg2000

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in an interview published days before her first visit to the United States, said Washington should close its Guantanamo Bay prison camp and find other ways of dealing with terror suspects.

"An institution like Guantanamo can and should not exist in the longer term," Merkel said in an interview with the weekly magazine Der Spiegel published on Saturday. "Different ways and means must be found for dealing with these prisoners."

Merkel has vowed to repair ties with the United States, severely strained over the U.S.-led Iraq invasion, which her predecessor Gerhard Schroeder strongly opposed.

But her comments to Der Spiegel -- also covering ties with Moscow and the European Union -- suggested she would not shy away from speaking out on issues where disagreement exists.

There is widespread skepticism in Germany about the way the United States is fighting its "war on terror", compounded by the recent scandal over the CIA's abduction and detention of German citizen Khaled el-Masri -- later acknowledged to be a mistake.

Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. detention center in Cuba denounced by human rights activists and many governments, is deeply unpopular in Germany.

Merkel travels to Washington next week for her first visit since becoming chancellor in November, and will meet U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday.

Merkel told Der Spiegel she expected to speak to Bush about the fight against terrorism. "But I want to accentuate that our relationship with the U.S. will not be reduced to talking about fighting terrorism and the Iraq war," she added.

NO FRIENDSHIP WITH RUSSIA

Merkel described relations with the United States as a "friendship", but said the term "strategic partnership" would be more fitting to describe Germany's relationship with Moscow.

"I don't think we share as many of the same values yet with Russia as we do with the United States," she said. "But we have a huge interest in seeing Russia develop in a sensible way." Continued ...

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Germany; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 911; angelaschroeder; angelawho; axisofappeasement; axisofweasels; bush; dhimmi; eurabia; eurotrash; germany; gitmo; guantanamobay; iraq; islam; merkel; sourkraut; stfukraut; waronterror; wgaf
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To: mcg2000

And as we all know, the Germans are experts when it comes to prison camps.


141 posted on 01/07/2006 8:38:49 PM PST by airborne (If being a Christian was a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you?)
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To: Michael81Dus

Of course, POWs are retained as long as the war continues. So that any terrorists taken in the US 'War on Terror' may be retained at our discretion.

They are not common criminals. This is not a legal affair. They are enemies of the United States and should be treated as such...


dvwjr


142 posted on 01/07/2006 8:46:09 PM PST by dvwjr
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To: mcg2000
First Ms. Merkel, we are going to pull out our 80,000 GI's stationed in Germany. Then we might talk about sending the debris from Guantanimo to your beloved Deutchland.
143 posted on 01/07/2006 8:55:17 PM PST by HardStarboard
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To: Michael81Dus
Michael, she has more than the right to say what she wants. And the Volk have the right to their opinion as well. In the US, the politicians don't get the last word, they get the first one and then they have to deal with the blowback.

To be fair to Merkel, her response was very diplomatic and I liked her use of "long term".

144 posted on 01/07/2006 8:55:54 PM PST by AmishDude
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To: Atlantic Bridge
On the other hand you must be aware that our gouvernment makes its own decisions.

There you go! Turn that thought around on yourself! That is the whole point of this conversation. If your government has not figured out by now that the US government will make their own decisions and do not need Merkel to tell us what to do with Gitmo. Germany is an industrialized nation but they have one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe. The rate was at 9.3 percent in November, that's above the 8.5 percent rate in the 25-member EU and about the same as it was when Hitler came into power. In comparison, the U.S. unemployment rate is currently at 5 percent. Tell Merkel to take care of business at home. We do not need her.

I see less of a connection between the US and Germany every day and I won't weep at leaving Germany behind. However, as a people - we hope to continue calling you, in particular, a friend.

145 posted on 01/07/2006 9:07:10 PM PST by daybreakcoming (May God bless those who enter the valley of the shadow of death so that we may see the light of day.)
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To: daybreakcoming

Well it is clear that your administration is doing its own decisions. It is just the question if a friend can say to his friend that he is wrong from his point of view. It is a difference if you have only aboulic vassals on your side or nations with their own free picture of this world. Just think about it.

BTW - You guys seem to run out of arguments. Our unemployment rate or Adolf Hitler have -to my limited knowlege- nothing to do with your little dungeon in the sun?!!

Personally -I said this before- I do believe like most Americans here that Gitmo is inevitable. On the other hand it would be a good idea to give this prison a better legal framework.


146 posted on 01/07/2006 9:34:53 PM PST by Atlantic Bridge (O tempora! O mores!)
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To: airborne
And as we all know, the Germans are experts when it comes to prison camps.

We are - indeed!

147 posted on 01/07/2006 9:37:55 PM PST by Atlantic Bridge (O tempora! O mores!)
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To: Atlantic Bridge
It is just the question if a friend can say to his friend that he is wrong from his point of view.

Friendship is to be earned, eh? Merkel has not shown that she is a friend nor has Germany shown itself to be a friend.

You guys seem to run out of arguments. Our unemployment rate or Adolf Hitler have -to my limited knowlege- nothing to do with your little dungeon in the sun?!!

Your nation needs to help itself before attempting to tell the superpower what it should do, don't you think? I do not throw Hitler at you in the usual sense - only time your unemployment was this high was during his first year of uh reign.

148 posted on 01/07/2006 10:20:24 PM PST by daybreakcoming (May God bless those who enter the valley of the shadow of death so that we may see the light of day.)
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To: daybreakcoming

Merkel, as the head of Germany´s most powerful party, has not hidden her opinion that military steps against Iraq were right back in 2002/3. She has been called an asscrawler of the US, because 80% of Germans were against that war. During a high-time of opposition to the US, she wasn´t willing to bend her views. With that, she has proven a) to have a backbone, and b) to be a friend of America.


149 posted on 01/08/2006 12:49:18 AM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: dvwjr; Polybius

It surely isn´t a normal war. The definition of war doesn´t really match here, comparable to the legal status of the "war on drugs". This is terrorism, and terrorism is a criminal behaviour. That´s why the treatment of the inmates in Gitmo is so complicated: some are caught as Taliban right on the battlefield bearing their arms openly, while others were captured in non-war zones. You need to find better solutions "in the longer term", for the legal status of these people, that´s what Merkel thinks (and me too). Otherwise, it could be hard to consider your country a state that is based on what we in Europe call "Western values". I´ve heard even the Chinese put their inmates on trial...


150 posted on 01/08/2006 12:54:03 AM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: beaver fever

The Nazis were convicted in Nuremburg for crimes which were no crimes at the time they were committed (legally). There was no law allowing or forbidding anything on or out of the battlefield. But the idea of Nuremburg was, that some things simply cannot be right (such as executing civilians without a trial). Shortly after that, the Geneva Conventions were written.


151 posted on 01/08/2006 12:57:17 AM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: FreedomPoster

truth bump


152 posted on 01/08/2006 12:59:31 AM PST by chasio649
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To: mcg2000
In Germany ALL people must register with the police when they move to a new home.

When I first got to Germany I was told I had to register with the police and I thought, well OK I am a foreigner so I can see that. But then I was told that ALL people including Germans MUST register with the police and I found that pretty intrusive of the government.

But I always had enough respect to keep my nose out of the way Germans run their own country. I would hope the Germans could muster up some self restraint in allowing America to defend herself since obviously America is the #1 target of the terrorists and not Germany.

This should be made very clear to Merkel and Germans.
153 posted on 01/08/2006 1:06:39 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper (ETERNAL SHAME on the Treasonous and Immoral Democrats!)
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To: Polybius

The lack of trials is that by far not all of the inmates of Guantanamo Bay were put on trial. Personally, I don´t see a fault in bringing them to military tribunals, but the thing is, many aren´t. Or are they? We don´t hear much from that location (lack of transparency). The Geneva Conventions were written under the impression of WW2. There was no idea that the US or any other country could hunt civilians worldwide as terrorists. You need to ensure that there is a maximum of lawful treatment, especially that no innocent can be kept behind bars. That´s the fear behind all criticism.


154 posted on 01/08/2006 1:07:30 AM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: Berlin_Freeper

It´s a great advantage being obligated to report your current address to the city administration (we´re not reporting to the police). The state always knows where to write letters to you (for taxes, fines for wrong parking, notifications for elections), and it makes sure (combined with the national IS) that there´s no voter fraud, for instance. Everybody can only register in ONE city/town.


155 posted on 01/08/2006 1:10:19 AM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: Michael81Dus
Read Stevenson's the "Man Called Intrepid" there is a very pathetic photograph in the middle of the book of a French resistance fighter (women) sitting in the courtyard of Gestapo headquarters in Paris.

She is nude covering her breasts minutes before she was shot.

She was a sacrifice agent sent on a suicide mission in order to uncover a traitor. She was captured, starved, tortured and raped. She didn't give up any information.

That's Grit.

People who resist out of uniform may be heroes. It depends who's side you're on
156 posted on 01/08/2006 1:10:28 AM PST by beaver fever
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To: americanbychoice2

The middle ages ended with the invention of the bookpress, the discovery of the American continent and the translation of the bible/reformation.


157 posted on 01/08/2006 1:11:31 AM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: Michael81Dus

Hammadi was supposed to get life in German prison. Life with no parole


158 posted on 01/08/2006 1:14:03 AM PST by dennisw ("What one man can do another can do" - The Edge)
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To: Michael81Dus

My German wife and I were required to go to the police station and register our new apartment with them. Town Hall is just a few blocks away but we were required to go to THE POLICE STATION and register.

In America, only sex offenders are required to register with the police. As for advantages, I never had a problem being contacted by the State in America. I would much rather have true freedom, rather than be treated and watched like a filthy sex offender.


159 posted on 01/08/2006 1:16:59 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper (ETERNAL SHAME on the Treasonous and Immoral Democrats!)
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To: daybreakcoming
Friendship is to be earned, eh? Merkel has not shown that she is a friend nor has Germany shown itself to be a friend.

Angela Merkel visited George Bush to show her support during his first clash with Gerhard Schroeder. This was political suicide for a German politician at that time since the vast German majority was (and is) absolutely in-line with Schroeders Iraq policy. In a famous satire magazine (der Eulenspiegel) she was shown with a filled mouth together with Pres. Bush in the same situation like Mrs Lewinski was with Pres. Clinton... It was more than just disgusting for Mrs Merkel and her husband. For backing the standpoint of Pres. Bush she had to pay a bitter price. This affair was one of the reasons why her last election has such a disappointing outcome. I think that a politician can not do more than to renounce on sure votes. Furthermore she was insulted in a really sick way for being a stauch friend of Pres. Bush.

I would say that she has every right to say her opinion. No matter if you or anybody else in America like it or not.

Your nation needs to help itself before attempting to tell the superpower what it should do, don't you think? I do not throw Hitler at you in the usual sense - only time your unemployment was this high was during his first year of uh reign.

Hitler is dust since 61 years and unemployment has nothing to do with the issue. The situation is completely different to 1933. This is a ridicolus comparison. You should work on your argumentation.

BTW - even the Superduperpower needs help sometimes.

160 posted on 01/08/2006 1:20:37 AM PST by Atlantic Bridge (O tempora! O mores!)
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