German-American Relations Before and After 9-11

As the U.S seeks support for a possible war with Iraq, the spotlight has fallen on Germany, one member of the United Nations Security Council that has said they will not support a U.S. war in Iraq. Once seen as the U.S.'s strongest partner in Europe, Germany has now joined France in insisting on a solution to the Iraq crisis that involves continuing the weapons inspections into an indefinite future.

On this week's show, political strategist and speechwriter for former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Michael Mertes, talked about how the relations between Germany and the U.S. have changed in the aftermath of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. His talk was followed by a response from Professor Charles Maier of Harvard University's Center for European Studies.