A top US diplomat has formally asked Germany to send troops to Syria to help fight the terrorist militia Islamic State. James Jeffrey said allies needed to provide technical support for the Kurdish-led opposition.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kappeler
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US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey has called on Germany to send military trainers, logistics specialists and technicians to help the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.
"We want ground troops from Germany to partially replace our soldiers," Jeffrey said in an interview with the German Deutsche Presse-Agentur news agency and the weekly Welt am Sonntag newspaper, before adding that he expected an answer from the German government this month.
Jeffrey was in Berlin on Friday on a mission to draw pledges of military and financial support from the German government. "We are looking for volunteers who want to take part here and among other coalition partners," Jeffrey told the German news outlets, though he added that he had not asked for a specific number of soldiers.
He also said that troops would not necessarily be required to engage directly in fighting with the jihadi group.
"It is better to force IS back with local Syrian forces," he said. "But a certain international presence is needed to secure air support, for logistics, training, and technical help."
He also said combat should not be ruled out since ground troops would need to be prepared to defend themselves.
The Bundeswehr currently sends reconnaissance planes over Syria from JordanImage: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kappeler
Johann Wadephul, an ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, has called for Berlin to consider Jeffrey's request.
Wadephul, deputy leader of the parliamentary caucus of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), told DPA on Sunday that the request shouldn't be "rejected in a knee-jerk reaction."
"In this region, it's about our security and not American security," said Wadephul, who could possibly be a successor to German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen should she leave for Brussels to become the new European Commission president.
Some 80 countries belong to the anti-IS coalition, with Germany's current contribution to the fight including reconnaissance jets, a refueling aircraft and military trainers stationed in Iraq.
During a visit to Iraq in June, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Germany would be ready to extend the mission beyond October, when it is due to expire.
Maas said at the time that the mission was "vital to prevent IS setting up new structures underground." But the decision of whether to extend the mission is not his to make alone, since, under German law, the parliament must approve all foreign military missions.
Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
Syria's civil war erupted out of the Arab Spring protests that swept much of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. The conflict has since drawn in multiple warring factions from around the world.
Image: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
War with no end
Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.
Image: picture alliance/abaca/A. Al-Bushy
The dictator
Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.
Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis
The eastern guardian
The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Tass/M. Metzel
The western allies
A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/A.Brandon
The rebels
The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.
Image: Reuters
The resistance
Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.
Image: Getty Images/A. Sik
The new jihadists
"Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
The old jihadists
IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Nusra Front on Twitter
The Persian shadow
Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country.
Image: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
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US President Donald Trump last December stated his wish to withdraw the 2,000 US troops currently stationed in northeastern Syria, where they are supporting the SDF, an alliance of opposition forces led by the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia.
This alliance has brought tensions with fellow NATO member Turkey, whose government considers the YPG an ally of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting against the Turkish state for the autonomy of the Kurdish people for decades.
The SDF took over the last IS stronghold in Syria in March, but the terrorist militia is known to be active underground, and the US has recently pledged to keep 400 troops in the area.
"We hope that the Germans will be able to do more," Jeffrey said. "I am optimistic. Some allies will deploy ground troops, I'm sure of it."
