Wimmer: ‘U.S. Pulling us into Abyss of War in Middle East’

PRESS RELEASE

Germany's Wimmer: ‘U.S. Pulling Us into Abyss of War in Middle East’

Oct. 1, 2016 (EIRNS)—Sputnik today interviewed Willy Wimmer, a former German Christian Democratic Member of Parliament for 30 years and former German State Secretary of the Defense Ministry—like a Deputy Secretary of Defense. Wimmer is also a friend of former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

He said,

"We know that at the very beginning of the Syrian tragedy, British, French and U.S. special forces became involved, giving this war, at the moment looking more like a civil conflict, a global significance."

Now, Wimmer suggested, the central question comes down to

"whether we can put an end to this disaster and prevent the spread of the Syrian inferno to other countries, which would signify the start of a great war.

"The intervention by the Americans and Europeans in Syria is a clear violation of international law," Wimmer emphasized. "This is a military operation on the territory of another state, one that’s not authorized by the UN or under international law." In fact, he suggested, "the Syrian tragedy occurred precisely due to these forces."

Russia, by contrast,

"intervened in the Syrian conflict legally, in response to a request by the country’s government and President Assad. That’s the big difference between U.S. and Russian actions: The U.S. is responsible for death and terror near our borders, resulting in the massive migration flows we face, while Russia advocates for the resumption of negotiations, for a victory of reason and a return to peaceful coexistence."

On Germany’s role, he said,

"When Kohl and Schroeder were in power, we saw that they had sufficient strength and opportunities to defend German interests within the NATO framework. They refrained from participating in armed conflicts. Now, we see how our defense minister travels to Iraq and announces that additional German troops will be sent there soon. I regret to say that the government in Berlin is far worse at protecting German interests than the former government in Bonn."