Spiegel Online published an article last Thursday that said Germany was going to provide military support for the "safe zone" the US wants to form in Rojava Kurdistan. Der Spiegel said the plan was prepared to protect Kurdish forces from both Turkey and the Damascus regime, and that the Tornado jets and German soldiers stationed in Jordan as part of the efforts against ISIS would be given the duty.

The plan also came up during the visits US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held on Friday in Berlin. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) referred to the Federal Parliament for the extension of duty for the troops in Jordan and their shift to Rojava. Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrat Union (CDU) views the plan more favorably.

ROTTGEN: GERMANY MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

CDU’s Foreign Affairs Official in the Federal Parliament Norbert Rottgen said the time on duty for the soldiers serving as part of the forces against ISIS should be extended. Rottgen, who is also the Federal Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission Chairperson, spoke to the newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine and said Germany should support the plan.

Rottgen said the following: “We are talking about a region that will protect the Kurds in the north of Syria and other peoples neighboring the European community. As such, Germany should take responsibility in protecting the peoples in the region and preventing possible clashes. Of course the Federal Parliament should inspect the plan to change the mandate for the troops and extend their duty in great detail.”

The US wants Germany to include the 280 soldiers and 6 Tornado jets positioned in Jordan’s Al Asraky military airport as well as logistical equipment in the “safe zone” plan they want to implement in Rojava Kurdistan. After ISIS was defeated under the lead of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), it was viewed as almost certain that mandate for the troops’ duty in Jordan, which is to expire on October 31, would not be extended.