Syria's ruler Bashar al-Assad has spoken out against the proposal of German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer for an international protection zone in the north of the country. The proposal was about restoring security in the region under international auspices, Assad said in an interview with Syrian state television. This would have solidified that the area was beyond the control of the Syrian state and the country was divided.
Turkey invaded Syria around three weeks ago to oust the YPG Kurdish militia it regarded as a terrorist organization. The country wants to settle there one to two million Syrian refugees who are currently in Turkey. Previously, allied with the Kurds US troops had begun with their withdrawal from the area.
Meanwhile, Turkey and Russia, the protector of Syria, have agreed to jointly control the northern Syrian border region with Turkey. In the face of Turkish supremacy, the Kurds sought help from the Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. Recently, the Syrian media reported that clashes between the Turkish and Syrian army had taken place in the north of the country, but no confirmation has yet been received.
Assad made clear in his interview, according to news agency Reuters, that he wants to regain control of the area in the long term. "There are armed groups we can not expect to hand over their weapons directly, but the goal is to return to the starting point and that is the full control of the state," Reuters quotes the dictator.
Assad praises deal between Russia and Turkey
Assad praised the news agency dpa According to nonetheless the agreement between Russia and Turkey. "The agreement is temporary, not permanent, it is a positive step (...) that reduces damage," he said. By doing so, Russia has put a stop to Turkey, cutting off not only the US, but also the internationalization proposed by Germany.
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Kramp-Karrenbauer, who is also CDU chairman, had proposed a UN-sanctioned protection zone in northern Syria to resume the fight against the radical Islamic IS militia and to facilitate civilian construction and the voluntary return of refugees. Last week, she had presented the plan, which she had not voted in the coalition at a NATO meeting and later specified that there should be a UN Security Mandate for the establishment of such a zone. How the zone should look like is still open.
According to SPIEGEL information, the Ministry of Defense has calculated that in a hypothetical German participation in an international protection zone about 2500 soldiers of the Bundeswehr would have to be used. These could then take the lead in a zone of 40 kilometers in length and 30 kilometers in width and provide three robust combat battalions for themselves. But officials still do not know what scenario they should go into regarding their boss's plans.
Criticism in Germany, silence and rejection abroad
So far no other country publicly supports the proposal, France and Great Britain are silent about it. Turkey rejects the plan. Pentagon leader Mark Esper said the US would not militarily participate in such a mission.
Kramp-Karrenbauer's initiative received criticism in Germany as well: Party colleague and CDU vice-president Armin Laschet said that many questions are still open. Such a project could be better coordinated in a coalition.
Especially Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) reacted irritated to the Syria plan. He had just been informed by SMS on Monday, Kramp-Karrenbauer would say something to Syria. Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz later said that Maas and he were "startled" at how little Kramp-Karrenbauer's initiative was prepared. "Everywhere we are told that this is not a realistic proposal," said Maas during a spontaneous visit to Turkey on the possible security zone.
However, former CSU leader Horst Seehofer defended Kramp-Karrenbauer in SPIEGEL: "I support the Defense Minister's initiative," he said. Stability and security in the region are "urgently needed to avoid additional fleeing and migration movements".
