German minister under fire over Iraq

BERLIN - The credibility of Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Social Democrat who will challenge Chancellor Angela Merkel in national elections next autumn, came under sharp attack yesterday over continuing allegations that - under his tutelage - Germany in fact aided the United States both in its war on terrorism and in the Iraq invasion that Berlin opposed.

In a foretaste of the national election campaign next year, conservatives aligned with Merkel and opposition deputies both sharply attacked Steinmeier's credibility when he appeared - for the fifth time in two years - before a parliamentary committee investigating allegations that German intelligence services were aware of CIA kidnappings, and of prisoner renditions to third countries where torture was permitted, and were involved in preparing the US invasion of Iraq.

As chief of staff for the former Social Democrat chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, Steinmeier was politically responsible for intelligence services and their activities.

As in previous appearances, Steinmeier denied that German intelligence agents based in Baghdad had passed on information to the United States during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, or that he was aware of any renditions that involved the kidnapping of alleged terrorism suspects for US interrogation.

"There is no reason for me to believe that the wishes of the government were either knowingly or unknowingly violated," Steinmeier said.

But the allegations continue to embarrass the Social Democrats. Schroeder firmly opposed the Iraq invasion, joined France and Russia in a coalition against it, and won reelection in 2002 on the strength of a strong campaign against US policy.