Germany rules out air strikes, ground troops against IS in Iraq
23 Sep 2014 10:44 PM GMT
‘There is no question of German soldiers getting involved in an armed conflict in Iraq,’ foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a TV interview.
Steinmeier denied reports Germany was under pressure to join the US and France in air strikes against the IS in Iraq.
‘No, the coalition doesn’t work that way,’ he said, adding that the international alliance, which was formed recently to eliminate the threat posed by the jihadist group, will operate on the basis of a ‘division of labour’ and Germany has taken over its responsibilities.
Germany announced last month to arm and train the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, who are battling IS militants in Iraq. Alliance partners have appreciated Germany’s decision to supply ‘Milan’ anti-tank missiles, thousands of machine guns, transport vehicles and night vision equipment to the Kurdish forces, he said.
Moreover, German soldiers are involved in distributing humanitarian assistance to the Kurdish provincial capital Irbil, he said.
Steinmeier denied reports Germany was under pressure to join the US and France in air strikes against the IS in Iraq.
‘No, the coalition doesn’t work that way,’ he said, adding that the international alliance, which was formed recently to eliminate the threat posed by the jihadist group, will operate on the basis of a ‘division of labour’ and Germany has taken over its responsibilities.
Germany announced last month to arm and train the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, who are battling IS militants in Iraq. Alliance partners have appreciated Germany’s decision to supply ‘Milan’ anti-tank missiles, thousands of machine guns, transport vehicles and night vision equipment to the Kurdish forces, he said.
Moreover, German soldiers are involved in distributing humanitarian assistance to the Kurdish provincial capital Irbil, he said.
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