Expatica news

Berlin wants to halt security for US bases

3 May 2004

BERLIN – German Defense Minister Peter Struck is proposing that Germany will stop providing security for US military bases in the country at the end of the year.

Struck also told Sunday’s Welt am Sonntag that Berlin would not send troops to Iraq as part of a NATO force police.

“We want to put an end to the German army’s protection of American installations by the end of the year,” said Struck in an interview with the newspaper.

The German army had protected US military installations since the start of 2003 after many US troops stationed in Germany were dispatched to Iraq.

Struck went on to rule out Germany joining any NATO security force in Iraq with the transfer at the end of June of sovereignty in Iraq from the US-led coalition to an interim Iraqi government.

Struck insisted that there remained many questions surrounding the NATO force, saying the German army will only provide special aircraft to transport wounded if this proves necessary.

 

[Copyright Expatica News 2004]
Subject: German news