German parliament votes to keep troops in Iraq
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A majority in the German parliament (Bundestag) voted to extend the deployment of the German Army in Iraq by nine months on Friday, German media reported.
On Jan. 12, the German government decided to keep its troops in Iraq until at least the end of October. However, this first had to be ratified by the German parliament.
A large majority of MPs voted on Friday for a mandate presented by the federal government, the German n-tv news channel reported.
A total of 555 members of parliament voted in favor of the extensions, while 110 voted against and a single MP abstained.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani “strongly” welcomed the decision.
“This mandate, and the support of the Global Coalition, is critical to the war on ISIS and training of Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi Army,” the Kurdish leader tweeted.
I strongly welcome the decision by the German Parliament to renew the Bundeswehr mission in Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrour_barzani) January 28, 2022
This mandate, and the support of the Global Coalition, is critical to the war on ISIS and training of Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi Army -mb.
"We welcome the decision taken by the German Bundestag to extend the mandate of the German troops in Iraq & the KRI for another 9 months," the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Foreign Relations Office tweeted.
"The People & Government of Kurdistan highly appreciate the on going support of the government and troops of Germany in fighting ISIS in the KRI (Kurdistan Region of Iraq)."
On Jan. 13., Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani thanked the German government for extending its army mission in Iraq.
Read More: Kurdistan PM thanks German government for extending army mission in Iraq
"Germany's support in 2014 helped our Peshmerga turn the tide against the terror group. ISIS is still a serious shared threat, and I urge the Bundestag to renew the mandate," he said at the time.
The German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht visited German armed forces in the Kurdistan Region on Jan. 9, 2022, where she met with President Nechirvan Barzani.
Read More: German defense minister praises Kurdistan's role in anti-ISIS fight
Germany is part of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS). It trained and supplied the Kurdish Peshmerga forces with military equipment, including MILAN anti-tank missiles, during the height of the war against ISIS. It's also a member of the NATO mission in Baghdad and supports the unification of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the Kurdistan Region.
Germany has deployed around 100 soldiers in the fight against ISIS. A number of German soldiers are still stationed in the Kurdistan Region.