{"id":36369,"date":"2019-07-10T13:26:40","date_gmt":"2019-07-10T13:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/10\/german-ground-troops-to-syria-some-analysts-lament-berlins-hasty-nein\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:47:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:47:52","slug":"german-ground-troops-to-syria-some-analysts-lament-berlins-hasty-nein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2019\/07\/10\/german-ground-troops-to-syria-some-analysts-lament-berlins-hasty-nein\/","title":{"rendered":"German ground troops to Syria? Some analysts lament Berlin\u2019s hasty \u2018nein\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

COLOGNE, Germany \u2014 The German government has rebutted a U.S. request for ground troops in Syria, setting in motion a familiar script of celebration and condemnation across political camps in Berlin that shows how divided Europe\u2019s economic powerhouse remains on the use of its military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert delivered the message almost in passing at a news conference in Berlin on Monday, following repeated questioning by reporters. While Germany recognizes the continued threat posed by the Islamic State group, he said, Berlin considers the current force package approved by parliament as the yardstick for the way forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That mandate, which expires at the end of October, includes Tornado surveillance missions over Iraq and Syria as well as aerial-refueling capabilities. Ground troops are in no way part of it, Seibert reminded journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Jeffrey, the U.S. special envoy for Syria and the fight against ISIS, told German media that Washington is looking for allies to pick up the slack when its troops begin to leave. The request for boots on the ground follows a previous U.S. campaign around the Munich Security Conference in February when high-ranking American officials felt out German leaders on the government\u2019s willingness to jump in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sending the Bundeswehr to hot spots, especially when requested by the Trump administration, is always a hard sell in Germany. And because the U.S. president has shown outright disdain for Germany, chastising the country as a slacker on defense spending, some analysts suspect the latest troop request could be just another move to make Berlin look bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\t