Ursula von der Leyen (Germany) - Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

Germany could join a military alliance with the US, UK, and France if Syria tries another chemical attack

Karina Moessbauer, BILD — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 08:36:41 +0000

A German air force Tornado jet takes off from the German army Bundeswehr airbase in Jagel, northern Germany December 10, 2015. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

Germany is exploring the possibility of joining a military alliance with the US, France, and the United Kingdom against Syria, according to BILD.
Germany had previously ruled out participation in “military actions,” but is now considering a radical change.
The German defense ministry would join the alliance if Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against the Syrian population.

Against the backdrop of potential chemical attacks by the Syrian regime in the province of Idlib, German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen is exploring how Germany can engage in military retaliatory actions against the army of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

BILD has learned the German Ministry of Defense is considering participating in the alliance of the USA, Great Britain and France in the future, but only if Assad troops were to use chemical weapons against their own population again. In April 2018, the three powers flew air attacks against selected targets of the regime after the Syrian army attacked the city of Duma, near the capital Damascus, with chemical weapons.

At the time, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had ruled out Germany’s participation in “military actions.”

But now a radical change is being discussed in the ministry.

It began with a request from the US side to the Chancellor’s Office. At a subsequent meeting of high-level experts at the end of the week before last week, various options were discussed in the ministry. The meeting was attended by high-ranking representatives on both sides. For the Germans, von der Leyen’s ministerial director, for the Americans, the new military attaché, a colonel.

The two sides discussed several options relating to a possible military alliance against Assad. They included reconnaissance flights and damage analysis before and after a possible attack and participation in possible combat missions in which German aircrafts would drop bombs for the first time since the Balkan War.

Should Assad verifiably use chemical weapons against its own people again, armed Bundeswehr Tornados could fly attacks on military infrastructure — barracks, air bases, command posts, ammunition and weapon depots, factories, and research centers, for example. In doing so, Germany would risk a direct confrontation with Syria’s allied Russia for the first time.

Though the plans were developed in the ministry, the final decision will fall on the chancellor.

In the event of immediate intervention, the German Parliament would only be consulted after the fact because of time constraints.

Germany considers the situation extremely delicate. The Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office, in a joint statement in response to a request from BILD, said, “The situation in Syria gives cause for grave concern. Of course, we are in close contact with our American ally and European partners during these times.”

The statement continued: “At all levels, we are constantly exchanging views on the current situation, possible further crisis scenarios and joint options for action. The aim is for the parties to the conflict to avoid an escalation of the situation, which is already terrible for the people affected. This applies in particular to the use of banned chemical weapons, which the Assad regime has already used in the past.”

Over the weekend, Russian and Syrian fighter jets again flew massive air strikes against the province of Idlib in Western Syria.

The rebel stronghold, the last of its kind, is a highly coveted target for Assad. The region is used by an estimated 100,000 partly Islamist rebels as a retreat, but three million civilians, including one million children, also live there.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/germany-alliance-usa-uk-france-syria-2018-9

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U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell wants to ’empower’ Europe’s right

David Martin - Deutsche Welle — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 11:20:18 +0000

In an interview with ultra-conservative U.S. news website Breitbart, President Trump’s ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, heavily criticized Berlin’s defense spending, saying Germany is losing credibility. The U.S. envoy in Berlin also tasked himself with “empowering” the European right.

Grenell had already riled officials in the Bundestag (German parliament), despite only formally assuming the ambassadorship last month, by urging German companies doing in business in Iran to leave the country after Trump announced plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Iranian nuclear pact.

His remarks to Breitbart could make for an even more isolated figure in the German capital.

No ‘credible threat of military action’

Addressing Germany’s military expenditure, an often referred to gripe within the Trump administration, Grenell said:

“(German officials) know you must have a credible threat of military action behind you if you’re going to be successful in diplomacy,” Grenell said. “That’s one thing that’s missing from the German diplomatic conversation — they right now don’t have behind them a credible threat of military action.”
He says insufficient military spending has hampered the Bundeswehr’s capacity to respond when needed. “German military officials know that the readiness issue is a serious problem, there are no working submarines, for example; they don’t have a military that is currently ready.”
NATO allies could force Germany’s hand by publicly shaming it.
A change in culture inside NATO was necessary for the body to remain relevant.
NATO members should be pushed to support their allies in a military intervention. “The US should not longer come to accept any excuses for not taking part in military intervention,” he said.

Based on growth predictions, Germany is set to spend just over 1% of GDP on defense in the next four years, well short of the 2% mark agreed on by NATO allies during the 2014 summit in Wales.

Germany’s military also faces several points of crisis. Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has decried the army’s aged equipment. Meanwhile, last year, the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) also uncovered widespread right-wing extremism in several units.

Migration remains Berlin’s key issue

On Germany’s migration policy, which continues to dominate the political debate, Grenell said:

The next big crucial issue facing German politics is migrant family reunification, commonly referred to in the U.S. as chain migration.
“What does that mean now? Who else gets to come in, and are we checking them? These are challenges for Germany,” Grenell said.
The U.S. envoy did praise Germany’s intelligence services for their role in cracking down on migrants seeking to settle in Germany under false pretenses.
“We want to make sure we work with all of the different politicians here in Germany who are concerned about migration, the chain-migration issue, working with the proper intelligence and law enforcement officials so we know exactly who is here under false pretenses,” he said.

‘Empowering’ Europe’s conservatives

Grenell said he was excited by the rising wave of conservatism within Europe, adding that he saw his task as “empowering” Europe’s right-wing governments and budding leaders. He told Breitbart:

“There are a lot of conservatives throughout Europe who have contacted me to say they are feeling there is a resurgence going on,” adding that the groundswell in conservative support could be tracked back to the “failed policies of the left.”
Candidates able to articulate “consistent conservative” stances on migration, taxes and cutting red tape would continue to enjoy strong support from the so-called “silent majority.”
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was among his favorite European leaders. Grenell described the 31-year-old head of state as a “rock star.”
Kurz’s Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) this year formed a governing coalition with the right-wing populist Freedom Party (FPÖ). Austria’s young government remains one of the loudest voices in Europe for securing the bloc’s external border.

This article originally appeared on DW.com. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/06/04/richard-grenell-u-s-ambassador-germany-wants-empower-right/668349002/

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NATO Chief Warns of Growing Nuclear Threat From North Korea, Russia

Henry Ridgwell — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 03:28:37 +0000

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 16, 2018.

MUNICH — The head of NATO has said the alliance is determined to avoid a new arms race with Russia, but he warned that Moscow is developing new nuclear weapons that pose a threat to the West.

“Russia is modernizing its nuclear capabilities, developing new nuclear systems, and increasing the role of nuclear weapons in its military strategy. This is a cause for real concern,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told delegates Friday at the three-day Munich Security Conference.

Political and military leaders from across the world are gathered in the southern German city to discuss defense issues, amid growing doubts over the future of the current global order.

Stoltenberg said NATO is determined to avoid a new Cold War. He welcomed the European Union’s embryonic plans to cooperate more closely on defense, under an agreement signed in December known as PESCO, or Permanent Structured Cooperation.

“They are an opportunity to further strengthen the European pillar within NATO and contribute better burden sharing. But with opportunity comes risk. The risk of weakening the trans-Atlantic bond, the risk of duplicating what NATO is already doing,” Stoltenberg said Friday.

Trans-Atlantic and European

The United States has echoed those concerns in recent weeks. However, Germany’s Defense Minister Ursula Von Der Leyen told the conference that such fears were misplaced.

“We want to stay trans-Atlantic in our outlook, but also become more European. A start has been made. Last December we finally launched plans for a European Defense Union. In a way we started out on the political path toward working on a European army.”

Washington repeatedly has called for European allies to boost defense spending.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was present Friday in Munich, but will not address the conference.

Mixed American signals

Analyst and Professor James Davis of the University of Saint Gallen in Switzerland, who is participating in the conference, says the U.S. is sending mixed signals to its allies.

“We’ve got Americans ramping up their presence along the eastern flank of NATO. And so, at the level of commitment, real commitment of American capabilities, there seems to be actually a re-engagement. But at the political level, at the level of political leadership, strategic leadership, I think people sense the lack of voice,” Davis told VOA.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 16, 2018.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the brinkmanship over North Korea’s nuclear program can be defused.

“I would say the two key stakeholders in relation to this crisis, the United States and North Korea, are able to come together and to have a meaningful discussion on these issues. I believe the United States is ready to do so, and recent statements by the Vice President [Mike Pence] demonstrate that it’s absolutely essential to keep the pressure over North Korea and to convince North Korea that it is absolutely vital for them to come to the table and to be able to find a way for this denuclearization, the peaceful denuclearization, of the Korean Peninsula to be possible.”

U.S. National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster is also to speak at the conference Saturday, and he is expected to address concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program and the United States’ commitment to NATO.

Source: https://www.voanews.com/a/nato-chief-warns-nuclear-threat-north-korea-russia-/4258770.html

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German army to set up new NATO headquarters

Deutsche Welle — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 12:24:03 +0000

The Bundeswehr is expected to install a new NATO military headquarters in Germany. The move is part of the alliance’s strategic upgrade in the face of increased tensions with Russia.

Germany is expected to set up a new NATO planning and control center, possibly near the former capital Bonn, as part of the alliance’s upgrade plans in Europe.

The new headquarters is designed to accelerate troop and equipment transport around the continent. Unusually, it will not be integrated into the current NATO command structure.

The offer, made by German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, has been accepted by other NATO member states, the German news agency dpa reported on Thursday, though the final decision will be made at a summit of NATO defense ministers next week.

The German Defense Ministry refused to confirm the report, saying in a statement only that “the possible installation of a NATO support command center” was indeed part of NATO’s current plans, and that Germany, because of its geographical situation and importance as a NATO partner, would naturally be considered as a location.

Another new NATO headquarters will be set up in the US, tasked with securing air and sea routes between North America and Europe.

A surprise invasion?

The decision is seen as a reaction to heightened tensions between NATO and Russia in the last few years — a leaked report showed last October that military leaders were concerned that the alliance was not adequately prepared against a surprise Russian attack.

Christian Mölling, NATO analyst at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), said the move was much more than a “political gesture.” “It shows that the commitment that Germany has made will be implemented,” he told DW. The fact that it wasn’t going to be integrated into the current NATO command structure meant that it could be used for German missions too.

“I would guess that the core will consist of German soldiers, but of course if they are planning multinational missions it would make sense to open the possibility of drawing in multinational forces,” he added.

Though few defense analysts expect an all-out war, countries on NATO’s eastern border — particularly Baltic nations with a significant Russian minority — say an invasion scenario does not seem far-fetched, particularly following developments in eastern Ukraine and Georgia in the past few years.

“NATO’s fundamental problem is that it can’t deploy troops to the Baltic region fast enough,” said Mölling. “And of course a commando structure that can plan and implement that is of course one of the building blocks that you need to be able to do that. Another building block is that you need the troops in the first place — that hasn’t been planned here, but it will have to be added at some point too. Germany is now providing one part of that.”

Germany’s socialist opposition was less than impressed with the idea. The Left party parliamentarian Alexander Neu, who sits on the Bundestag’s defense committee, said the creation of the base would see Germany “putting itself at the head of the saber-rattlers.” A much better idea, he added in a statement, would be for Germany to position itself as a mediator between the US and Russia.

This, he argued, would be much more in the country’s interests, “because in a real conflict Europe and especially Germany would be the first victims of complete destruction through the use of nuclear weapons.”

The fair share question

Several thousand NATO troops have been redeployed to the Baltics and Poland over the past year, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has long argued that the alliance needs a new command structure to speed up reinforcements if necessary.

Stoltenberg has also called on the European Union and commercial interests to help in the effort — in particular by building up civilian infrastructure such as roads and railways to accommodate military needs.

But the two additional bases in Germany and the US represent only a mild rearmament compared to Cold War levels, when NATO had several dozen bases and active headquarters. According to the alliance’s own figures, it currently has seven headquarters, and under 10,000 of its own personnel.

US President Donald Trump has occasionally delighted in chastising NATO partners for not paying what he regards as their fair share of contributions to NATO. Officially, members are supposed to invest 2 percent of GDP into defense. Germany comes in well below this benchmark — recent evaluations say that the country will spend just 1.24 percent of its GDP on defense this year, a small increase on the 1.22 percent of last year. Still, Germany is steadily increasing its defense budget, and is currently aiming to reach €42.4 billion ($52.3 billion) by 2021.

The French Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that it was planning to increase its own budget by a third by 2025 in order to meet the NATO requirement. This would put France’s defense budget at €44 billion ($54 billion).

Source: http://www.dw.com/en/german-army-to-set-up-new-nato-headquarters/a-42499457

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