GERMANY-STEINMEIER/OBAMA SPEECH Fighting ISIS requires political, not just military strategy, says German FM

Record ID: 231557

  • Title: GERMANY-STEINMEIER/OBAMA SPEECH Fighting ISIS requires political, not just military strategy, says German FM
  • Date: 11th September 2014
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 11, 2014) (REUTERS) STEINMEIER SPEAKING DEPUTIES IN DISCUSSION
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA6TYVRPBNEXXKJU17QTXUOHSG9
  • Story Text: Hours after President Barack Obama told Americans he had authorised U.S. airstrikes for the first time in Syria and more attacks in Iraq against the Islamic State militant group, Germany expressed its support for the policy.
    In a speech to parliament on Thursday (September 11) as part of a debate on the budget, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said "we don't have to be convinced that a military strategy alone could eradicate the topic of ISIS (Islamic State) or radical Islamist groups."
    "Of course we need a political strategy and if you followed the entire Obama speech from last night, you know this is a part of Obama's speech," said Steinmeier.
    Obama's decision to launch attacks inside Syria, which is embroiled in a three-year civil war, marked a turnabout for the president, who shied away a year ago from airstrikes to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons against his own people.
    In a significant move that could help rally Gulf Arab states behind the U.S.-led coalition, key ally Saudi Arabia will host inside its territory a U.S. training effort for Syrian rebels, senior U.S. officials said.
    Germany's Steinmeier said he and other foreign ministers would have a "first round of discussions already next Monday" at the invitation of France to elaborate on the issue.
    "I invited the G7 for a meeting the week after next during the week when the UN General Assembly meets when we will discuss exactly this political strategy with the Arab states."
    "I can assure you, no one is as naive as to believe that a few guns for the peshmerga would solve the ISIS problem for the world," said Steinmeier, referring to Germany's announcement last month to send enough weapons to arm 4,000 Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq battling against Islamic State (IS) insurgents.

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