New German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday ruled out allowing German troops to train Iraqi military personnel inside Iraq, after talks with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.
"In the meeting … we repeated once again that we will continue to apply the approach that we will not participate in military training inside Iraq but we will continue efforts underway in other countries," she told reporters.
Germany, which has more troops abroad in peacekeeping and anti-terror operations than any country apart from the United States, has trained Iraqi officers and other personnel, notably at home and in the United Arab Emirates.
