Opposition Politicians: Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel: Calls have grown in recent days from opposition politicians and leading German cultural figures to offer Snowden asylum in exchange for his testimony in a looming investigation into alleged U.S. bugging of Merkel's phone. , according to Reuters. But in an apparent attempt to nip the asylum debate in the bud, Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert made clear on Monday that the chancellor was not prepared to take any steps that might put the relationship with Washington at risk. BERLIN - Angela Merkel reaffirmed the importance of Germany's ties to the United States on Monday, making clear a domestic debate over granting asylum to former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden must not be allowed to harm relations. Merkel had stayed silent since a leading lawmaker from Germany's Greens party visited the fugitive U.S. intelligence worker in Russia last week and returned to Berlin with a message that Snowden would cooperate if guaranteed safe haven. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.