A split in the ruling coalition in Germany over sending troops to Syria

Washington is counting on Europe to prevent the return of the terrorist Islamic state.

Where Britain, France and now Germany, which it’s participation in the international coalition is limited, were they only involved in Tornado reconnaissance planes, air refueling aircraft and trainers in Iraq.

But the issue of deploying German soldiers on the ground is a very sensitive issue in Germany, which is very committed to its peaceful culture and has only allowed soldiers to be sent to areas of conflict abroad since 1994.

Sending troops abroad is a very sensitive issue in Germany, so the political class was surprised by the US demand for Berlin to send ground troops to Syria to fight terrorism.

The Socialists were quick to reject the US request in what the conservatives seemed to be open to.

Where Torsten Schaeffer Gumpel, a member of the tripartite presidential body of the Social Democratic Party, the second partner in the ruling coalition in Berlin, rejected the request of the US Special Representative to Syria James Jeffrey from Germany to send ground troops to the north of the country.

“A mandate of this kind will be rejected by the Social Democratic Party”, Schaefer Gumpel tweeted.

We’ll not agree to send German ground forces to Syria.

I don’t think the partner in the government coalition wants it, “in reference to the Christian Union of Chancellor Merkel.

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called on US President Donald Trump not to allow Germany to treat Germany as a “dependent” state.

“We’re not a banana republic here”, he told the Handelsblatt newspaper.

On the other hand, Christian Democratic Party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the party of Chancellor Merkel, said it was initially open to a discussion on the issue.

She added in an interview with the German second channel “ZDF” that if necessary, we will have a discussion about adding some things to the German performance under the mandate of the International Alliance against terrorism.

As for the deployment of German ground forces in Syria, Kramp-Karrenbauer said: “This is a big leap for us”.

But people should realize in Germany that “it’s about a great deal of self-security in Germany, not just what the United States wants”.

Agnieska Bruegher, a Green Party defense expert, urged the German government to “direct a clear refusal” to expand the existing mandate, asserting that the German intervention to date was “illegal and inconsistent with the constitutional provisions of German military interventions abroad”.

For its part, the German Foreign Ministry said that Berlin is in a “constructive dialogue” with its partners about the future work of the coalition against the “Islamic State”.

To date, Germany supports the alliance in Syria and Iraq, especially the Tornado reconnaissance aircraft, from Jordan.

This authorization from the German Parliament will remain in effect until October 31.

US Special Envoy to Syria James Jeffrey told the German newspaper Die Welt that “we want Germany from ground forces to replace some of our soldiers” deployed as part of an international counterterrorism mission in the region.

Geoffrey had visited Berlin for talks on the matter, and Jeffrey said he was waiting for a response by the end of July, raising pressure on Berlin, which faces US criticism of its low level of defense spending.

He added that Washington is discussing “here (in Germany) and other partners in the coalition” the international against the organization of the Islamic State, which includes 80 countries, and there are volunteers and are ready to participate”.