Germany said that differences with the US over the...

Germany said that differences with the US over the death penalty would probably prevent it providing evidence to Washington in the case of Ramzi Binalshibh, the al-Qaeda suspect arrested on September 11 in Pakistan.
Berlin's statement that it is unlikely to bend existing rules will add to diplomatic strains between the two countries. Binalshibh, who lived in Hamburg and is seen as key figure behind the September 11 attacks, was handed over to US authorities, according to US media reports. He could face the death penalty if put on trial in the US.
The differences may intensify tensions in German-US relations sparked by the strong stand taken by Gerhard Schröder, German chancellor, against US-led military strikes on Iraq.
Otto Schily, German interior minister, stoked tensions by criticising the death penalty as "not compatible with fundamental social values", adding that he hoped the US would change its stance on the issue. A justice ministry spokesman in Berlin said there was "little reason" in Binalshibh's case to depart from Germany's basic policy of refusing to provide legal assistance when it could result in the death penalty. Herta Däubler-Gmelin, justice minister, said this position was shared by all European Union member states.
US officials rebuffed concerns that the death penalty issue would have any long-term implications for US-German relations, in spite of escalating conflict over the prosecution of the war on terrorism and the potential US invasion in Iraq.
Berlin has already withheld evidence in the case against Zacarias Moussaoui, a French citizen of Moroccan descent, who is the only person on trial in the United States for his alleged involvement in the September 11 plot. In that case, Berlin is still seeking assurance the evidence will not be used to impose the death penalty. France is also refusing to hand over evidence on Moussaoui, a French national.