Whats the reaction of the government and in general in Germany to President Bushs announcements?
KLOSE: Well, I have not heard an official reaction of the government. In Parliament we were not really surprised because there was a good guess that there was something going on. Actually I believe that this whole affair, including the announcements the president just made, did not really help to improve the American image and I believe, when we talk about the struggle against terrorism we must win the public. Win the public in our own countries and especially in Muslim countries and I believe that actually all of this did some damage and I am pretty sure that our American friends know about it. Let’s follow up on America’s bad image abroad. Is that a direct result of the war in Iraq, of the war on terror, or as many say, of the anti-Islamist stance of American foreign policy. And how can you change that? VOLKER: I think it’s related to all those things that you mentioned as a matter of perception. I would not say that it is a matter of reality and I think that it is partly our job, an
