Refusing to join two multinational coalitions to secure civilian shipping thru the Strait of Hormuz, Germany on Wednesday reminded the world that it’s a poor ally.
The free transit of civilian shipping through international waters is a defining principle of the post-World War II international order. Supporting that transit should be a no-brainer.
Not for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government.
Germany says that the U.S.-led plan risks exacerbating tensions with Iran. But Germany isn’t only rejecting the U.S. here. It is also appears to be rejecting a separate European-led effort that would also provide naval escorts for tankers. Led by Britain and France, the European effort would not align under the Trump administration’s maximum pressure strategy against Iran. This, the Europeans hope, will persuade Iran to remain somewhat attached to the 2015 nuclear agreement.
But the basic point here is that Germany could have acted to protect international law in a way that did not align Germany with Trump’s foreign policy.
Regardless, it’s a deep shame.
Again, trade flows through Hormuz matter not simply to the preservation of our economies, but to that which Germany claims is sacrosanct: the preservation of liberal international order. It speaks volumes about the delusion of Merkel’s Western supporters that she won’t even accept this limited escort mission. Instead, Merkel and her left-wing SPD partners prefer Germany be a missile-shopping market for the Iranian hardliners.
This decision is a symptom of a broader malaise.
Though made up of some elite forces such as its KSK special forces unit, the German military continues to be grossly underfunded and undermanned. The Germay navy is also kept well away from the most obvious NATO requirements. Ironically, one of the German officials responsible for that mess has just won appointment to a top job at the European Union.
Where does this leave us?
Well, next time Jennifer Rubin says that Chancellor Merkel leads the free world, ask her which planet she’s talking about.
