BERLIN, August 15. /ITAR-TASS/. Germany does not rule out supplying arms to Iraq, but no final decision has been made yet, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in an interview quoted in Friday’s Luebecker Nachrichten daily.
“The sufferings of people in Northern Iraq — Yazidis, Christians and others — inflicted by the Islamic State terrorist group are abhorrent,” she said. “It is up to the international community to stop the advance of these extremists and help those doomed to suffer.”
For this, Merkel added, humanitarian aid and equipment supplies should be provided for those who fight the terrorists.
“For arms export, the (German) government always has political and legal room for maneuver that will be used as much as possible if needed,” she said.
“In this we are closely coordinating our actions with our partners, primarily the US,” said the Chancellor, adding it was crucial to determine what capacities these countries could offer. Germany would act in accordance with its possibilities, Merkel said.
Asked whether Germany considered it a possibility to supply weapons to the war-stricken country, Merkel said Berlin “uses opportunities provided by political and legal framework for arms export”.