Regardless whether Obama, Clinton or McCain enters the White House, the next US government will demand greater support from Germany on the international stage, especially in Iraq. But the government in Berlin is poorly prepared for this inevitability -- and that's a serious failure. At the end of February, Barack Obama became the first American presidential candidate to say he would demand more engagement in Afghanistan from America's allies if he were elected to the White House. It's fairly certain this demand would also apply to Iraq, where the problems are far worse than in the Hindu Kush, despite improvements seen in the military situation there in 2007. Obama's contender Hillary Clinton or John McCain would also confront their allies in the West with new demands. A US soldier with a peace symbol on his helmut: A visit by Germany's foreign minister to Iraq is long overdue. Germany doesn't need to worry about getting any requests to send troops to Iraq, but it will likely be asked to make a substantial contribution to help rebuild the country. If the Europeans and the Germans don't want to be faced with unpleasant surprises in 2009, then they need to determine today how far they are willing to go to support the new US government.
Regardless whether Obama, Clinton or McCain enters the White House, the next US government will demand greater support from Germany on the international stage, especially in Iraq. But the government in Berlin is poorly prepared for this inevitability -- and that's a serious failure.
At the end of February, Barack Obama became the first American presidential candidate to say he would demand more engagement in Afghanistan from America's allies if he were elected to the White House. It's fairly certain this demand would also apply to Iraq, where the problems are far worse than in the Hindu Kush, despite improvements seen in the military situation there in 2007. Obama's contender Hillary Clinton or John McCain would also confront their allies in the West with new demands.
A US soldier with a peace symbol on his helmut: A visit by Germany's foreign minister to Iraq is long overdue.
Germany doesn't need to worry about getting any requests to send troops to Iraq, but it will likely be asked to make a substantial contribution to help rebuild the country. If the Europeans and the Germans don't want to be faced with unpleasant surprises in 2009, then they need to determine today how far they are willing to go to support the new US government.
Why would the US bother with a more friendly policy when they get away with being completely unilateral? In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
will demand greater support from Germany on the international stage, especially in Iraq
I think Spiegel is off base here. While predicting U.S. misactions in the Mid East cannot be underestimated, the practical options for Obama seem perhaps two:
Yes, this goes against bi-partisan U.S. foreign policy of long standing, but when you've failed so spectacularly, your options are reduced.
A withdrawal would lead to giving up any claim on oil or income from oil, which might lead to chaos in the US.
But that's a different issue.
The "chaos" will not materialize. Iraq as it stood previously will not survive as it never made much sense anyhow. The real danger comes from the possible Turkish reaction to a new Kurdish state.
Regardless, to imply that what is happening NOW in Iraq is not 'chaos' is laughable. The truth is that people fear an islamic-based government taking over Iraq and the word "chaos" is used as a euphemism to that. If we had a problem with that well we should have avoided deposing the secular government that was there before us.
Realistically the Iraqi's will not support a heavy-handed religious government, their society has been secular for far too long. Muqtada_al-Sadr is not very religious for a "cleric," don't believe the hype.
