Because of the risk of a military escalation between the United States and Iran, the German armed forces have cut their presence in neighboring Iraq to an absolute minimum. According to “Der Spiegel”, German soldiers have been moved again from Iraq to the neighbouring country Jordan. Military circles report that, due to the continued extreme tension, additional “non‑mission‑critical personnel” were flown out from Erbil in northern Iraq.
Under a NATO mission the Bundeswehr supports the development of the local Iraqi army. Apart from a handful of advisors in Baghdad, most German troops are based in Erbil, the Kurdish‑dominated north. The presence in Erbil had already been reduced in early February; with the growing danger of a US strike on Iran, a further withdrawal of soldiers was decided.
Military sources say that on Wednesday a small double‑digit number of soldiers were flown out. The Bundeswehr had about 300 personnel deployed for the mission in Iraq and Jordan, with the majority of those troops stationed in Jordan.
