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Germany rules out troops to Iraq
The International News ^
| 8/12/03
Posted on 08/12/2003 6:22:10 AM PDT by areafiftyone
BERLIN: Germany has ruled out sending troops to Iraq to assist US-led forces in stabilizing the war-shattered country, government spokesman Thomas Steg said on Monday.
"Our position is clear. The government is abiding by its stance not to engage militarily in Iraq," Steg told reporters, noting the government had not been formally asked for help by the United States.
Steg was asked about the German position after Defence Minister Peter Struck said in a weekend newspaper interview he could envisage NATO assuming a role in post-war Iraq and said that German peacekeeping troops could join such a mission.
Struck had said such participation would be contingent on a United Nations mandate and a formal request from the occupying powers for assistance, and described the issue of German participation as "theoretical".
Steg did not comment on Germany's position on NATO joining the peacekeeping effort in Iraq at Monday's routine government news conference.
Meanwhile the chairman of NATO's Military Committee, General Harald Kujat, called for the alliance to play a role in Iraq and said such an operation would be possible under a UN mandate, in an interview with Deutschland radio Berlin.
TOPICS: Germany; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: iraq; nonallygermany; peacekeepers; rebuildingiraq
To: areafiftyone
*shrug*
Kind of looks like the US is ruling out soldiers for Germany, so we are even...
2
posted on
08/12/2003 6:25:22 AM PDT
by
Gorzaloon
(Contents may have settled during shipping, but this tagline contains the stated product weight.)
To: areafiftyone
dont forget ...our 'friends' the germans have offered a military alliance with russia against us! it may be time to close all ties with the germans
3
posted on
08/12/2003 6:29:31 AM PDT
by
rrrod
To: areafiftyone
Well . . . it's too late for those German reinforcements to help Saddam's Ba'athists, anyway. Might as well stay home.
4
posted on
08/12/2003 6:34:16 AM PDT
by
No Truce With Kings
(The opinions expressed are mine! Mine! MINE! All Mine!)
To: areafiftyone
Germany could send over all of that WW2 surplus aircraft and munitions that are buried in the bunkers under the airport.
5
posted on
08/12/2003 6:52:35 AM PDT
by
LetsRok
To: knighthawk
ping
To: areafiftyone
Gee, why would we need German troops? Or ours, for that matter? Don't we have a great big "coalition of the willing"?
7
posted on
08/12/2003 7:27:47 AM PDT
by
alpowolf
To: areafiftyone
When asked why Germany decided against sending troops to Iraq, a spokesman replied,
Warum vollständig gehen Sie, den Irak zu besetzen, wenn Frankreich rechte folgende Tür ist! Und außerdem, haben wir Praxis gehabt, sie zu besetzen!
(Why go all the way to occupy Iraq when France is right next door! And besides, we've had practice occupying IT!)
8
posted on
08/12/2003 7:33:18 AM PDT
by
George Smiley
(Is the RKBA still a right if you have to get the government's permission before you can exercise it?)
To: rrrod
it may be time to close all ties with the germans Sort of like we closed all ties with the Saudis after 9/11?
To: rrrod
What are you smoking? We have not offered Russia a military alliance against the US. Any other dellusions lately?
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