Germany rules out cooperation with Assad as cabinet meets on IS campaign
BERLIN - Germany's defense minister ruled out on Tuesday any cooperation between German forces due to take part in the military campaign against Islamic State in Syria and President Bashar Assad or his troops.
Speaking shortly before Germany's cabinet meets to approve the deployment of Tornado reconnaissance jets, refuelling aircraft, a frigate and up to 1,200 military personnel to the region, Ursula von der Leyen defended the plans.
"The top line is: there will be no cooperation with Assad and no cooperation with troops under his command," von der Leyen told ARD television.
However, that did not exclude the possibility of including some of those currently on Assad's side in a long-term solution for the country, she said. "We must avoid the collapse of the state of Syria," she said, adding that mistakes made in Iraq, when groups who had been loyal to Saddam Hussein were excluded from joining the political system after his defeat, should not be repeated.
"But let me be clear - there will be no future with Assad," she stressed.
