Opposition Slams Schröder on Iran Debate

Wolfgang Schäuble, vice chairman of Germany's opposition Christian Democratic Union, reproached Chancellor Gerhard Schröder for his reaction to U.S. comments about Iran's nuclear program. Schröder should have explained to the German public that there is no current danger of a U.S. war with Iran, Schäuble said. And he stressed that President Bush's statements about the possibility of a military solution in Iran is a means of creating pressure for a peaceful solution. Schröder's reaction -- warning about a military strike and urging a diplomatic solution -- only fueled fears in Germany of another war. The former interior minister, who served under Helmut Kohl, called Schröder's policy irresponsible. "I can't shake the suspicion the chancellor is still running his election campaign against President Bush," he said