Bush, Merkel slice into roast pig at German barbecue

TRINWILLERSHAGEN, Germany, July 14 (Reuters) US President George W Bush put West Asia tension, violence in Iraq and Iran's nuclear programme behind him to feast on a wild boar roasting on a spit.

''Laura and I come from Texas,'' Bush told his host German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday on a warm summer evening. ''One of the greatest compliments you can pay a guest is to have a barbecue.'' The barbecue was a much-anticipated highlight of Bush's visit to Merkel's political home base in northeastern Germany, a grilling he had been looking forward to all day.

Merkel greeted Bush wearing faded blue jeans as the US president and his wife, Laura, arrived in the tiny Baltic town north of Berlin aboard the Marine One helicopter.

They walked past a red-coated band playing a medley of songs like ''Hooray for the Red, White and Blue,'' and Bush plucked the conductor's wand from his hand and led the band for a few notes.

Then he and Merkel posed for pictures with the band as its members played on, Bush startling a woman playing a flute by poking her on the shoulder.

Nearby, three creatures were turning slowly over flaming beds of coals, one of them a wild boar hunted down by restaurant owner Olaf Micheel.

After both leaders spoke to the crowd, Bush said: ''Thanks for having us. Let's go eat.'' Someone handed Bush a long knife and fork and as he prepared to pierce the meat, members of another band lifted their horns and began to play on cue.

Bush cut several slices from the shoulder and Merkel did the same from a haunch, and the eating began.

At a joint news conference with Merkel earlier in Stralsund, Bush kept mentioning a wild boar, slaughtered and roasted the traditional way, that he planned to share at the dinner.

''I'm looking forward to the feast you're going to have tonight.

I understand I may have the honour of slicing the pig,'' Bush told Merkel.

A few minutes later -- after discussing Iran, the West Asia, the merits of press freedoms in Russia and progress on the Doha round of free trade talks -- Bush returned to the boar.

''Thank you for having me,'' he told Merkel. ''Looking forward to that pig tonight.'' Bush answered a few more questions but kept coming back to the boar for a third, then a fourth time.

REUTERS SRS RAI0529