YESTERDAY, German defense minister Peter Struck told interviewers from the Financial Times that Germany had not ruled out sending troops to Iraq. “At present I rule out the deployment of German troops in Iraq. In general, however, there is no one who can predict developments in Iraq in such a way that he could make such a binding statement [about the future].” In the context of the interview, it was clear Struck was suggesting that Germany might reconsider its position on troops in Iraq if John Kerry was elected president.
Well, there you have it. Just elect Senator Kerry and America’s old allies–Germany and France–will return to the transatlantic fold, and all will be right with the world. Here’s the problem: Struck’s comments are malarkey. Given how few capable troops Germany has–and with many of them tied up in Afghanistan–it’s unlikely Berlin could put any substantial numbers in harm’s way in Iraq anytime soon. And, more to the point, given the declining popularity for Chancellor Schröder’s government inside Germany, it is inconceivable that his government would risk angering the public further by actually deploying troops to a conflict that a large majority of Germans–with the help of the current government–have come to believe is morally bankrupt and certain to fail in any case.
