Bush rejects Merkel call on Guantanamo

Telegraph
Jan. 13, 2006

President George W Bush has rejected calls from Germany's new chancellor to shut down America's controversial Guantanamo Bay detention centre.

Following his meeting with Angela Merkel at the White House today, Mr Bush said he had told the camp was "a necessary part of protecting the American people."

In a joint press conference after the meeting Mrs Merkel said: "There sometimes have been differences of opinion. I mentioned Guantanamo in this respect."

However the leaders presented a more united front in their call for Iran to back down over its nuclear program.

Yesterday France, Britain and Germany said that talks with Iran over its nuclear programme had reached a dead end and urged that the issue be referred to the Security Council

Earlier today Iran threatened to block inspections of its nuclear sites if confronted by the Security Council over its atomic activities.

Both Bush and Merkel said they discussed the Iranian nuclear crisis and strategy for dealing with it at length.

President Bush said it was "logical that a country which has rejected diplomatic entreaties be sent to the United Nations Security Council."

And referring to recent comments by Iran's leader challenging Israel's right to exist, Mrs Merkel said: "We will not be intimidated by a country such as Iran."