German Minister and Bush in Surprise Talks

German Interior Minister Otto Schily held surprise talks with President George W. Bush in Washington this week, a ministry spokeswoman said on Thursday, though she refused to provide any details. According to Der Spiegel newsmagazine, Schily was meeting with US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley when Bush joined them and asked for Germany to provide help to Iraq's future government, after the elections there. In their 25 minutes of talks on Wednesday, Schily is reported to have pledged that Berlin would work more closely with the new Iraqi administration. Bush also said he was looking forward to his trip to Germany on Feb. 23 and that he was not disconcerted by the likelihood of demonstrations being held. "It is an honor that does not come to every interior minister," Der Spiegel quoted Schily as saying after the meeting.