German leader seeks to regain trust at White House
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-01-13 14:47

"HONEST AND OPEN"

On the eve of her White House meeting with Bush and a planned joint news conference, Merkel did not directly address differences over detainee policies, but she called for an "honest and open dialogue."

"A lively discussion can be a sign of friendship," she said at a German embassy dinner event to mark the start of her trip.

Allegations the United States has secretly run prisons in Europe and transferred detainees across the continent incommunicado have fueled anti-American sentiment in Germany.

Political analysts say Merkel needs to show her electorate she will not ignore that in her dealings with the Bush administration,

Her predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, angered Bush by campaigning against the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

But Merkel, the first woman to lead Germany, has set the stage for "harmonious" relations, Germany's Ambassador to the United States, Wolfgang Ischinger, said.

Merkel said on Thursday NATO needed to be more active in fighting terrorism. That message was likely to please Bush, who has pushed for the trans-Atlantic military alliance to expand its operations to help fight al Qaeda.

But Ischinger acknowledged U.S.-German differences over how to combat militants.

"The United States decided after 9/11 it was at war, but European countries believe we must continue to fight terrorism with peacetime legal systems," the ambassador said.

Such differences will prevent the European powerhouse from gaining America's full trust, wrote John Hulsman and Nile Gardiner of The Heritage Foundation think tank, which is closely allied with the Bush administration.

"Those expecting a renaissance in U.S.-German relations are likely to be disappointed. While the relationship between the White House and the chancellery will be more cordial, underlying policy tensions will remain," they said.

"The United States will continue to face a German public that is overwhelmingly hostile towards U.S. foreign policy and which is likely to remain so," they added.