In the SPD, the resistance to an extension of the Bundeswehr's anti-IS operation in Syria and Iraq seems to be declining beyond October. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) wants to continue the "Tornado" mission. The acting faction leader of the Social Democrats in the Bundestag, Rolf Mützenich, now told the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung" (FAS) that he was always ready to listen to arguments.
After all, circumstances could change at any time. In such a case, the federal government would have to propose a new mandate to the parliament and then it would become clear whether the Bundestag could follow suit. A little over a week ago Mützenich told SPIEGEL that Germany had announced the withdrawal of its soldiers and planes a year in advance. "Our partners could adjust to that." He expects Kramp-Karrenbauer to stick to last year's Bundestag resolution.
The SPD chairman in the defense committee, Fritz Felgentreu, said the "FAS", he heard from experts, the German reconnaissance tornadoes were still needed to fight the IS. "This is a new situation and we have to evaluate that." Nils Schmid, SPD chairman in the Foreign Affairs Committee, told the newspaper, because there was no replacement for other German airplanes from other states of the anti-IS coalition, the situation was now objectively different than at the time when the Bundestag decided to end the mission in late October. That will now have to evaluate the group.
The continuation of the mandate is controversial in the grand coalition. There have also been different positions within the SPD for some time. Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, for example, called the visit to Iraq in early June "currently absolutely essential" and announced that he would consider extending the mission.
