The comments that have come from various parties over the last few days naturally do not serve to build up good energy relations. Threats from all sides do not help.

The claim that the two BND officers had acquired Saddam Hussein's plan to defend the Iraqi capital and handed it to the U.S.A. one month before the war's outbreak, as is stated in The New York Times, is false. The BND, and with it the German government, were unaware of such a plan until now.

The early visit of the chancellor is in keeping with Germany's special relationship with Israel and the importance she attributes to positive developments in the Middle East.

The German government will then decide what it will do.

The (EU) member states agreed in March at the European summit in Brussels that this should be part of our foreign policy and (EU foreign policy chief Javier) Solana was asked to prepare a concept for this.

These are difficult decisions and we have a duty to explain them.

I don't see any dissent within the government.

The New York Times allegations are wrong in all their details. The claim that the two BND officers had acquired Saddam Hussein's plan to defend the Iraqi capital and handed it to the U.S.A. one month before the war's outbreak, as is stated in the New York Times, is false.

This account is wrong. The Federal Intelligence Service and, therefore, also the government, had until now no knowledge of such a plan.

The supply of gas without disruption is a key part of the relations between Germany and both countries.