Germany talking about removing AWACS from Turkey

[MKSheppard]

Germany mulling AWACs pullout, ex minister says

BERLIN, March 22 (Reuters) - The German government is considering withdrawing its soldiers aboard NATO AWACs aircraft patrolling the airspace over Turkey following Turkey's moves into northern Iraq, a former junior minister said on Saturday.

Ludger Volmer, a legislator in the Greens junior coalition partners, said if reports were true that Turkey has invaded Kurdish areas in northern Iraq, the German government would consider withdrawing its support.

"The government appears to be considering making such a decision (to withdraw)," Volmer told German television. "I think it's the right thing to do. If Turkey marches into Kurdish areas in northern Iraq, then it cannot count on Germany's support.

"Turkey would then be a war participant," said Volmer, who was a state secretary in the foreign ministry until 2002.

A German government spokesman declined to comment on Volmer's remarks. He said Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder would hold a meeting of the government's security council -- including the defence, foreign and interior ministers -- in Berlin on Saturday.

Schroeder has long been a leading opponent of the Iraq war and said Germany would not participate in any way in the war.

However, Schroeder has defended the deployment of the German soldiers in the AWACS crews because they were sent on a purely defensive mission guarding the airspace over Turkey and have no direct role in the Iraq war.

German soldiers make up about a quarter of the AWACS crews in Turkey.

Turkey sent a vanguard of commandos into northern Iraq overnight, Turkish military sources said, in a move that courts U.S. displeasure and risks confrontation with local Kurds.

A Turkish military source told Reuters about 1,500 commandos crossed Turkey's southern border at three points late on Friday, aiming to secure access for subsequent, larger deployments. Iraqi Kurds denied any Turkish commandos had been deployed and vowed to repel any incursion.

Turkey says it needs its troops in Iraq to control refugees and forestall any attempt to create a Kurdish state -- a move it fears could reignite separatism on Turkish soil.

[Sea Skimmer]

Either Germany stands by its commitment to NATO or it should pull out now and forever.

[Vympel]

Either Germany stands by its commitment to NATO or it should pull out now and forever.

But this doesn't have anything to do with NATO.

[Cpt_Frank]

Don't listen to the fucking pacifist greens.

AWACS deployment there, as well as NBC divisions in Kuwait are still supported by both most of SPD and CDU, our 2 largest parties, so nothing'
s going to happen if some green peacenik soils himself.

[Sea Skimmer]

Either Germany stands by its commitment to NATO or it should pull out now and forever.

But this doesn't have anything to do with NATO.

Yeah it does. Those aircraft are collectivly owned and operated by NATO and where deployed under the NATO treaty.

[Dahak]

There also gossip about ordering back the Patriot systems from Turkey should the actively enter the war.

Those, and the AWACS, were sent to help Turkey in the event of an attack. Not to help them attacking IRaq.

If they do, we should withdraw. No German should be allowed to help in an war of aggression without UN support.

[Enlightenment]

BERLIN, March 22 (Reuters) - The German government is considering withdrawing its soldiers aboard NATO AWACs aircraft patrolling the airspace over Turkey following Turkey's moves into northern Iraq, a former junior minister said on Saturday.

This is the key bit that most of you seem to have missed.

A defensive alliance is under no obligation to act as a defensive backstop for someone while they go and kick the shit out of a third party. If the Turks go on the offensive against the Kurds then Turkey--NOT NATO--needs to be responsible for its own security.

[Vympel]

BERLIN, March 22 (Reuters) - The German government is considering withdrawing its soldiers aboard NATO AWACs aircraft patrolling the airspace over Turkey following Turkey's moves into northern Iraq, a former junior minister said on Saturday.

This is the key bit that most of you seem to have missed.

A defensive alliance is under no obligation to act as a defensive backstop for someone while they go and kick the shit out of a third party. If the Turks go on the offensive against the Kurds then Turkey--NOT NATO--needs to be responsible for its own security.

Exactly- like I said- nothing to do with NATO.