German FM warns of proxy war in Iraq

Iraq must not become the scene of a "proxy war" calling into question the efforts to rebuild the country over the last few years, public radio Deutschlandfunk quoted German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas as saying on Monday.

Maas said he opposed sanctions against Iraq as threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump. "At least, I do not think it is very helpful at the moment," Maas said in an interview.

"We have invested a great deal of commitment, not only military but also in stabilization aid to rebuild this country, to create infrastructure," Maas recalled, warning that "all of this is in danger of being lost if the situation continues to develop in this way."

On Sunday, a majority of Iraq's parliament voted in favor of a resolution that called for an end to foreign military presence in the country.

Whether the 120 German soldiers who are currently training Iraqi forces to fight against the IS (Islamic State) would be called back is still a matter of discussion and would depend on how the Iraqi government implements the resolution, according to Maas.

"Of course, nobody wants a military engagement in Iraq against the will of the parliament and the government," he said, adding that "we will respect any decision" made by the Iraqis.

According to Maas, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and leading politicians from France and Britain had also stated that it would be necessary "to act on all sides that Iraq will not become the scene of a war between the United States and Iran."

"Europeans have open and functioning channels of communication on all sides, which are currently also being used, and we will do our part to ensure that there is no proxy war in Iraq by other countries," Maas said.