French, German Officials Say They Won't Send Troops To Iraq Even if Kerry Wins...

No French or German turn on Iraq
By Jo Johnson in Paris, Betrand Benoit in Berlin and
James Harding in Washington
Published: September 26 2004 21:13 | Last updated:
September 26 2004 21:13

French and German government officials say they will
not significantly increase military assistance in Iraq
even if John Kerry, the Democratic presidential
challenger, is elected on November 2.

Mr Kerry, who has attacked President George W. Bush
for failing to broaden the US-led alliance in Iraq,
has pledged to improve relations with European allies
and increase international military assistance in
Iraq.

"I cannot imagine that there will be any change in our
decision not to send troops, whoever becomes
president," Gert Weisskirchen, member of parliament
and foreign policy expert for Germany's ruling Social
Democratic Party, said in an interview.

"That said, Mr Kerry seems genuinely committed to
multilateralism and as president he would find it
easier than Mr Bush to secure the German government's
backing in other matters."

Even though Nato last week overcame members'
long-running reservations about a training mission to
Iraq and agreed to set up an academy there for 300
soldiers, neither Paris nor Berlin will participate.

Michel Barnier, the French foreign minister, said last
week that France, which has tense relations with
interim prime minister Iyad Allawi, had no plans to
send troops "either now or later".

That view reflects the concerns of many EU and Nato
officials, who say the dangers in Iraq and the
difficulty of extricating troops already there could
make European governments reluctant to send personnel,
regardless of the outcome of the US election.

A French government official said: "People don't
expect that much would change under a Kerry
administration, even if things can only get better. We
do not anticipate a sudden honeymoon in the event
Kerry replaces Bush.

"A lot depends on who is in power in both Washington
and Baghdad. If there's change in both countries then
it's possible we would re-examine our position, but I
don't expect a massive change either way."

A German government spokesman declined to comment on
the outcome of the US presidential election. But the
feeling in Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's office is
that, if anything, Berlin is growing less rather than
more likely to change its mind as security conditions
deteriorate in Iraq.

Mr Schröder would also be unlikely to renege on his
2002 electoral commitment not to send troops as a new
general election looms in 2006.

There is no sign that the German public, which loathes
the US president, would accept risking German lives to
salvage what is widely seen as Mr Bush's botched war.

In fact, high-ranking German officials are privately
concerned at the prospect of Mr Kerry becoming
president, arguing it would not change US demands but
make it more difficult to reject them.

Both France and Germany, however, have said they would
contribute to the reduction of Iraq's debt and
participate in economic and environmental development
programmes. Berlin already trains Iraqi security
forces outside Iraq and France has said it would do
so.

Mr Kerry is expected to make Mr Bush's record of
alienating foreign capitals and undermining US
credibility in the world one of the chief arguments on
Thursday night when he confronts the president in the
first presidential debate.

The televised debate, which is expected to be watched
by more than the 46.6m people who watched the debate
in 2000, will focus on foreign policy and national
security.

In a speech hammering Mr Bush for his decision to lead
the US into Iraq, Mr Kerry said last week that in
Afghanistan "I will lead our allies to share the
burden."

He continued: "the Bush administration would have you
believe that when it comes to our allies, it won't
make a difference who is president. They say the
Europeans won't help us, no matter what. But I have
news for President Bush: just because you can't do
something, doesn't mean it can't be done."

The German government continues to oppose sending
troops to Iraq under any circumstance.

Berlin was one of Europe's most vocal opponents of the
invasion of Iraq and, with sizeable forces in the
Balkan and Afghanistan, it has also argued its troops
are overstretched.

Although the government did not oppose Nato's decision
to start training inside Iraq, it still thinks the
deployment is counter- productive.

"Nato personnel will become targets for attacks," one
official said on Sunday...