German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she’s rejecting a request from the United States to provide additional military assistance in the war against the Islamic State.
According to Merkel, Germany is already doing its part, and so further discussion of additional assistance is unwarranted, Reuters reports.
“I believe Germany is fulfilling its part and we don’t need to talk about new issues related to this question at the moment,” Merkel said.
Der Spiegel recently reported it received a letter sent by the U.S. to the German Defense Ministry, in which Secretary of Defense Ash Carter asked Germany to step up its contributions in Syria and Iraq. Last week, the German parliament approved a non-combat role in Syria by a 445 to 146 vote, which includes up to 1,200 troops, a frigate and six Tornado reconnaissance aircraft. Germany has said it will not engage in airstrikes in Syria.
Although Carter apparently didn’t view the contribution as sufficient, Merkel appears uninterested in even discussing further support.
Germany decided to get involved following the terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13. Currently, the country provides support for Kurdish fighters via weapons and training. In late November, Merkel said because ISIS “can’t be convinced with words, it must be fought with military means.” Still, Germany plans to remain in a non-combat role.
The head of Germany’s domestic security agency, Hans-Georg Maassen, said military contributions are not likely to make the risk of a terrorist attack against Germany any worse. That risk already exists and will not subside any time soon. Terrorist attacks may happen at any point, Maassen said.
“Now that Germany is actively taking part in the war, it is of course being seen in the same light as the USA, France and so on. But we do not see the danger, which was already big anyway, increasing due to this,” he said, according to Newsweek. Maassen implored refugees to pass on information about terrorist plots to security services and to report fellow refugees who may engage in attacks against Germany.
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