THE ORIGINAL AXIS :

Germany withholds Moussaoui evidence (BBC, 1 September, 2002)

Germany has told the United States it will withhold evidence against 11 September suspect Zacarias Moussaoui unless it receives assurances the information will not be used to secure a death penalty against him.

In an interview with the Der Spiegel news magazine, Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin said: "Our documents cannot be used for the death penalty or for an execution."

Ms Daeubler-Gmelin insisted the issue would not put more pressure on relations between Germany and the US - relations which are already strained by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's criticism of US threats to attack Iraq.

No. Why would their siding with Saddam and the 20th hijacker strain our relations? Posted by Orrin Judd at September 2, 2002 6:00 AM