Germany opens door to Iraq involvement

The German defence minister Peter Struck is now holding the
door open for further German involvemement in Iraq.
After Berlin’s strong opposition to the war and declared
policy not to send troops, Struck is now signalling
that Germany might deploy troops in Iraq if conditions there
change. 

In an interview with Financial Times, Struck said: “At present I
rule out the deployment of German troops in Iraq. In general,
however, there is no one who can predict developments in Iraq in
such a way that he could make a such a binding statement.”

A senior German official added: “When the situation in Iraq
changes, when elections have been held, or there are other
developments, then we will make decisions on this basis.” The
official said it was understood that, if a new democratic Iraqi
government were to ask the UN for support, the international
community, including Germany, must be in a position to respond.

Commenting on US presidential candidate John Kerry’s idea
of convening an international conference on Iraq that would
include countries that opposed the war, Struck said: “This is
a very sensible proposal. The situation in Iraq can only be cleared
up when all those involved sit together at one table. Germany has
taken on responsibilities in Iraq, including financial ones; this
would naturally justify our involvement in such a conference.”