Monday, February 20, 2006

Merkel criticised Guantanamo Bay

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay "should not exist," in an interview days before she met George W Bush.

In an interview published in the German magazine Der Spiegel on Monday, 9 January 2006 Mrs Merkel criticised the US concentration camp in Cuba, saying "different ways" should be found to deal with prisoners.

Mrs Merkel told the magazine: "An institution like Guantanamo can and should not exist in the longer term.

"Different ways and means must be found for dealing with these prisoners."

But said she would not demand the immediate closure of the camp when she meets with President Bush.

On Friday, 13 January 2006 US President George W Bush rejected criticism over the Guantanamo Bay camp raised by German Chancellor Angela Merkel during talks in Washington.

President Bush said it was a necessary part of protecting the American people.

It is her first official US visit since her election which, Mr Bush joked, much like his own, was not a landslide win.

"We openly addressed that there sometimes have been differences of opinion, and I mentioned Guantanamo in this respect," Ms Merkel told the press conference afterwards.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

No comments: