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Merkel In Favor of U.S. Closing Gitmo

Though new German Chancellor Angela Merkel stands opposed to the existence of the U.S. holding facility for those captured as the U.S. and its allies fight the war on terror - "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." Merkel said in a recent interview - she isn`t planning on pressing the issue forcefully too soon in talks with President Bush this coming Friday. "My talks with leaders of other countries don`t consist of my expressing demands, but of exchanging views," she said.

Since her election as the first female chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ms. Merkel has vowed to repair ties with the United States which were severely strained over the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Her predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, strongly opposed that invasion and teamed up with French President Jacques Chirac in creating a sort of united front against America in Europe.

There is widespread skepticism in Germany about the American-led "war on terror," increased by the recent scandal over the CIA`s abduction and detention of a German citizen, Khaled Masri, an event later acknowledged to be a mistake. Chancellor Merkel is set to make her first trip to the United States, and though she will not press Bush to close Gitmo right away, other issues will be discussed if an issue arises. "That`s my opinion and my view, and I`ll say it elsewhere just as I have expressed it here."