By Lan Shunzheng
On July 7, the US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey said in an interview with German media that he hoped Germany could send ground troops to Syria to partially replace US soldiers stationed there. He said he expected a reply from Germany by the end of this month.
However, the German government publicly rejected the US call on July 8. Spokesperson Steffen Seibert claimed on the same day that Germany will continue to make its military contribution to fighting against the extremist organization, the "Islamic State", including sending military reconnaissance aircraft and tankers for support or military training, but ground troops will not be included. The US' scheme to find a “replacement” has come to nothing.
At present, the US' policy toward Syria has almost failed. When the Syrian civil war broke out, the United States was full of confidence in the "regime change" to replace the Assad regime, the current government of Syria. It firmly believed that as long as it supported the anti-government armed forces charging against the government, it would not have to fall into the "mire" of war to profit. However, the strong intervention of Russia, Iran and other countries has shattered the US' dream.
Today, Bashar al-Assad’s dominance has stabilized and anti-government forces have been cornered. In February this year, Russia, Turkey, and Iran issued a joint statement emphasizing safeguarding Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which can never be destroyed by any other countries through any action.
Under these circumstances, it's quite natural for the US to look for new allies in order to concentrate on dealing with Iran and maintain a foothold in Syria simultaneously. Germany, a relatively great power among NATO allies, has undoubtedly become the best "replacer" in the eyes of the US.
However, the failure of the US expectation is predictable. German political circles are generally not positively responsive to the US' appeal. Tobias Lindner, a Greens party member and national defense politician, told the media: "I don't think this is possible."
Although Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the current leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has claimed to be open to the expansion of the German troops’ mission in Syria, including sending ground troops to Syria as requested by the US, she refused to make any promise, only saying that the matter will remain to be discussed by October this year, when Germany’s terms in the US-led international military intervention against ISIL becomes expired.
In fact, post-war Germany has always been very cautious in foreign policy, especially in foreign military operations. After reunification, Germany is committed to abandoning nuclear weapons. All its military operations have been carried out within the framework of international organizations. Most of the troops sent overseas to date have been for peacekeeping and medical support, rather than directly participating in the fighting.
Since the Iraq war in 2003, the Schrader government believed that the US war against Iraq lacked authority under the UN and the basis of international law. So Germany has established the anti-war alliance with France and Russia to publicly accuse the US of improper actions. Germany has chosen to avoid direct involvement in combat operations until 2015, when a terrorist attack occurred in Paris, France, and the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag), prompting the Federal Defense Forces to send troops to provide logistics, intelligence and escort support for the military attack on the "Islamic State" of France.
In addition, Germany has always been very "sly" in dealing with the Syria issue. Since the outbreak of the Syria crisis, Germany’s policy toward Syria has evolved several times, but has always adhered to the principle of opposing direct military intervention. In April 2018, the United States, the UK, and France imposed precision strikes on Syrian military targets on the grounds that the Syrian Assad government was suspected of using chemical weapons.
Nevertheless, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had said the day before the strike that Germany would not participate in any military operations against Syria, but instead support diplomatic settlements of disputes. However, after the air strikes against Syria jointly delivered by the US, the UK and France, Merkel immediately expressed that the strikes were "necessary and appropriate." It can be seen that on the one hand, Germany has expressed its moral support for its allies’ action, while on the other hand it has kept a certain distance from actions. Therefore, it can be expected that the US’s cheme to leave the Syria crisis to Germany would certainly fail.
