Germany’s Merkel says Guantanamo should be shut

By Karin Strohecker

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.”

Merkel, who will meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow
days after her Washington trip, often criticized Schroeder when
she was in opposition for forging “exclusive” ties with Russia
at the expense of relations with smaller EU countries.

In the interview she said developments like the new law
giving the Kremlin more control over non-governmental
organizations worried her, while the recent row between Ukraine
and Russia over gas prices, which has made Germans question
their own heavy reliance on Russia for gas, had reinforced the
need for stable relations.

“We need to do everything to save as much energy as
possible and diversify our sources,” she said, adding that
Germany would avoid letting Russia be its only supplier.

Supplies to the 25-nation EU, which imports a quarter of
its gas from Russia, were hit after Russian gas monopoly
Gazprom cut deliveries to Ukraine on January 1 to push its
demand for a fourfold price rise. The two neighbors reached a
compromise 5-year supply deal earlier this week.

On the European Union, Merkel said the issue of the bloc’s
constitution could be tackled when Germany took over the EU
presidency in 2007, though much groundwork was needed.

“We need to have an all-encompassing discussion again,”
Merkel said. “I think it would be good if Europe stayed with
the thought of having a constitution. I will lobby for that.”