Germany to reduce military actions against ISIS

Berlin maintains a vague stance on the battle against ISIS as Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel fails to form a new coalition government. A confusion easily spotted on Germany’s latest decisions to reduce its military presence in Turkey- shortly after a disagreement with Ankara- and in Jordan.

During a visit on Saturday to al-Azraq base in Jordan where German Soldiers are stationed, German Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen asserted that ISIS virtual Caliphate is not defeated yet.

“Given this fact, International community will continue its efforts to curb terrorism and have it replaced with a long-term stability in the region.”, said Von der Leyen, adding that the struggle against terrorism to be endured even with slight changes on it.

German Minister of Defense announced during the visit that its country will reduce the number of troops participating in the military campaign against ISIS, without mentioning any further details.

Germany deploys 1200 soldiers in the fight against ISIS, 320 of them are stationed at al-Azraq base of Jordan.

German Army supports US- led coalition air strikes against ISIS by four Tornado reconnaissance planes and a refueling aircraft.

German Army used to conduct its military operations against ISIS from Turkey’s Incirlik airbase before moving to al-Azraq base in June 2017, a move prompted by Turkish refusal to allow German lawmakers’ visit to Incirlik facility.

German resumed its military air raids against ISIS from al-Azraq airbase in October 2017.

Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen has planned to visit the Jordanian airbase in November 2017, nonetheless the visit was postponed due to the reached impasse in forming a coalition government.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier plans to visit Lebanon and Jordan as well at the end of January.

Germany is expecting the return of 100 minor citizens fled to Iraq and Syria to join ISIS, according to Deutsche Welle newspaper.

German Green Party members expressed their concerns at the bundestag from this expected return, stating that the majority of the returnees are minors and toddlers.

Greens lawmaker and Internal affairs expert, Irene Mihalic, said on Monday that the German government expects the return of 100 of ISIS Jihadists’ children, noting that the government information is backed by unclear facts and evidences.

Mihalic stressed that the government needs confirmed information about the expected arrivals in order to deradicalise those minors in a step to have them reintegrated into society.

950 people have left Germany for Syria and Iraq during the last few years, of which a third has returned to Germany, while the rest are believed to have been killed in military combats.

Germany is obliged by law to receive those with German citizenships.

Hans-Georg Maassen, the head of Germany’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), warned in December 2017 that the arrival of women and children from Syria and Iraq has been noticed, nonetheless a same return of trained fighters has not been discerned yet.