US President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel
held talks yesterday amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East
between Israel and Lebanon.
Bush, on a brief stopover to Germany's northern port city of
Stralsund, Merkel's constituency, en route to Russia for the Group
of Eight (G8) summit, accused Hezbollah of jeopardizing peace in
the Middle East.
Israel has a right to defend itself, the president told
reporters in a joint press conference.
Bush's remarks followed Israel's intensified attacks against
Lebanon in response to a cross-border raid by Hezbollah guerrillas
on Wednesday during which two Israeli soldiers were captured.
"My attitude is this: there are a group of terrorists who want
to stop the advance of peace," he said.
Meanwhile, Bush warned that any action taken must not weaken the
democratic government in Lebanon, which he described as "very
important" for peace in the region.
Echoing Bush, Merkel said a strong government in Lebanon was in
the interests of the international community.
On Iran's nuclear crisis, both Bush and Merkel urged Tehran to
accept at an earlier date the "fair" international deal hammered
out by five permanent members of the UN Security Council and
Germany to end Iran's controversial nuclear activities.
"I truly think they are trying to wait us out. And I think they
are going to be sorely mistaken." Bush said.
Merkel said, "Should Iran not in any way reply to this offer and
accept this offer, we unfortunately have to embark on a new
course."
"The door has not been closed but Iran must know that those who
have submitted this offer are willing ... to act in concert and to
show this clearly through their action in the Security Council,"
she added.
The US and other permanent members of the UN Security Council,
along with Germany, have agreed to raise Iran's behavior at the
council for possible punishment.
Security around Stralsund was tight during Bush's visit, with
fighter jets and helicopters patrolling the skies and police
officers with binoculars scanning the area from the rooftops.
Anti-Bush demonstrations were kept well away from the areas that
Bush was due to tour. The environmental group Greenpeace hung a
banner reading "No War, No Nukes, No Bush" from the Marienkirche
Church.
Thursday's meeting with Merkel is a sign that US-Germany
relations under Merkel are significantly better than they have been
for years, especially following the deep strains caused by the Iraq
war.
With British Prime Minister Tony Blair under constant attack at
home and Italy's Silvio Berlusconi losing this year's elections,
Merkel could emerge as Bush's strongest ally in Europe, analysts
say.
(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2006)
