The objection does not mean that he is swerving from the western alliance or change his foreign policies that have been effective since the Kosovo conflict, the German leader said in several interviews with German media.

"We don't live in the age of secret diplomacy," he added.

Schroeder denied arguments that he wants to divert the unfavorable situation of his party in the election campaign with foreign policy.

The facts, which could not be changed, could not be made through debates, Schroeder noted. German people have the requirement to know the chancellor's opinion, Schroeder stated.

His Social Democratic Party still trails the opposition Union Party in recent polls some five weeks ahead of general elections. However, Schroeder's ratings have been boosted since he stated hisobjection to any involvement in a possible war against Iraq.

A country that defines its interests self-confidently is a "better partner than one that represents itself through pussyfooting," the chancellor said.

His words on "German Way" do not refer to foreign policy issuesbut a "social balance" that should be adhered to in Germany, said Schroeder.

The chancellor, interviewed with newspapers "Die Zeit" and "Tagesspiegel" and television station n-tv on Wednesday, said an intervention in Iraq will trigger new conflicts in the Middle East.

The idea on the future of the region and the reorganization of the Middle East and on the consequences of a war for the global economy has not been discussed sufficiently, the chancellor noted.

"Those who march first need to develop an idea about the political and economic order of the Middle East. And my impressionis that it simply doesn't exist," Schroeder said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2002)