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Kramp-Karrenbauer proposal: Finally engagement

2019-10-22T15:57:24.754Z


Kramp-Karrenbauer's proposal for a security zone in northern Syria carries many risks. But he is basically right and overdue. It is time for Germany and Europe to take responsibility in the region.



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You have to leave that to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer: she has courage. Her proposal for an international security zone in northern Syria is no less than a foreign policy sensation, a turning point in German security policy, a break with Germany's "culture of military restraint", which until now determined its policy despite all demands for greater responsibility in the world ,

Germany has never had the initiative for an international peace operation, never before - with the possible exception of the reaction to 9/11 - has Germany promised to participate in a military action. Military solutions? For this Germany has never felt responsible, even if it was explicitly about peacekeeping missions. If it was somehow possible to stay out, Germany did that.

It is easy to formulate concerns

The chairman of the CDU is taking a high political risk with her initiative - for herself personally and for the credibility of Germany in the world. There are so many things in which the advance can fail and will probably fail: to the ally, to the coalition partner, to Russia, to Turkey or to missing capacities of the Bundeswehr.

It is therefore easy to formulate concerns. Kramp-Karrenbauer's proposal raises many questions: what exactly should the zone secure, who should it protect? Who would put the troops to work? Who lead the mission? The EU, NATO, the UN or a coalition of the willing? Gar Germany? How robust would the mandate be? What should the "cooperation" with Russia and Turkey, which Kramp-Karrenbauer talks about, how would she make Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyib Erdogan, the real rulers of the region, agree to the mission? And how exactly does she imagine the German role?

Video: Kramp-Karrenbauer on their proposal for a security zone in northern Syria

Video

REUTERS / Detuse wave

One can criticize with whom the proposal was too late or too little or not at all voted. but that is not the point. The German Defense Minister has suggested that Europe should become militarily engaged in its neighborhood, which unfortunately is the most dangerous region in the world. And she is right. Europe needs to become more involved after the US withdrawal in Syria, it is in its interest to shape the future of the region, whose stabilization is so important to Europe's security.

Depend on Russia

The decision on Kramp-Karrenbauer's proposal could eventually fall in Moscow. The German Defense Minister wants to include Russia and Turkey in her plan, she said. In fact, it is likely to behave the other way round: the question is whether Vladimir Putin is ready to involve the Europeans in Syria. Syrian President Assad is a ruler of Moscow's grace, and even Turkey's invasion of the neighboring country would have been unthinkable without Russian consent. An international mission would be doubly dependent on Russia: militarily and politically, because it would need a mandate from the UN Security Council, and that in turn will only exist if Moscow is on board.

It is already clear that NATO could not lead the mission because Russia would not agree to that. However, Russia may well have an interest in shifting the burden of reconstruction to Europe, and it is not entirely out of the question that Moscow would like to share the military risk of stabilization. The Turks have been campaigning for an internationally secured zone in northern Syria for a long time anyway. They have two main goals: they want to prevent at all costs from creating an independent Kurdish state in northern Syria. And they want to bring at least part of the more than three and a half million Syrian refugees from Turkey back to their country.

The aim of a security zone should be to prevent further expulsion of Kurds from the border region and to initiate civilian reconstruction. In addition, the zone should prevent the resurgence of IS in the region.

Europe can not only watch

Even if Kramp-Karrenbauer's chances of success are low, it was right to start a discussion on how Germany and Europe can participate in the stabilization of Syria - beyond the fight against IS. And it's good that finally an initiative comes from Germany.

The impulse that Europe in its neighborhood can not be just a spectator is right. Kramp-Karrenbauer's move could be a first step toward the end of the hesitant and passive foreign policy of recent years, which waits for disaster to materialize before responding to emergency response.

German foreign policy has lacked courage in recent years. Germany is too rich, too big and, yes, too powerful to continue to shirk its responsibility. And the crisis region south of Europe is too dangerous to leave permanently to itself or to the Putins and Erdogans of this world.

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2019-10-22

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