British Veterans Oppose Schröder D-Day Visit

Some British World War II veterans are opposed to having German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder visit a British cemetery during June 6 ceremonies to mark the 60th anniversary of the Allied landings at Normandy, according to the U.K. newspaper the Daily Telegraph. Eddie Hannath, the general secretary of the Normandy Veterans' Association, told the paper he would regard it as "sacrilege" if Schröder laid a wreath on British graves. Schröder was the first German leader to be invited to attend D-Day ceremonies in January by the French government. A spokesman for the German government said Schröder's agenda had not yet been set. "Nothing was fixed about going to see British war graves, and nothing was cancelled. We can't comment on something that was never planned in the first place," the spokesman said.