Security policy
Ischinger: “conflicts are endless,”
Should the “Islamic state” in Libya spread further, the EU may have to intervene militarily. The said the chief of the Munich security conference Wolfgang Ischinger in an Interview with DW.
DW: The Munich security conference takes place in turbulent times. What do you see as the most important topic that the participants in the Bavarian capital to be talking about?
Wolfgang Ischinger: The immensity of the conflicts is the Central theme. The war in Syria, the Regionalkonflikt has become the refugee crisis, cyber-attacks, dschihadistischer Terror – all of these challenges transcend borders. And we still have not managed to get them to work together effectively to tackle. Some States seem to national to find solutions, but this is not it.
NATO–Secretary General Stoltenberg has recently for the resumption of the NATO-Russia Council is pronounced. You have his proposal is supported. Russia has not yet responded. Do you believe that Moscow will agree, although Germany’s defence spending is almost double the USA and their spending to defend Europe, also significantly increase want?
Why should Russia do not want it? It is surprising but nobody in Moscow that the West is now more in military capabilities to be invested. This is long overdue.
Wolfgang Ischinger, head of the security conference
The refugee crisis in Europe is not only still not be solved, but the EU countries are on the Flüchtlingsthematik continue to be deeply divided. How could a solution look like?
Firstly, Europe must finally find a compromise in the distribution of the refugees. Secondly, we urgently need a comprehensive strategy for the war in Syria to stop. That is not without basic agreement with Moscow, Riyadh and Tehran will be possible, as difficult as that is. Here, the EU could be diplomatically more active. Thirdly, we need urgently more refugee site in the Region.
The “Islamic state” (IS) in Syria and Iraq, apparently, lost ground, at the same time, the grouping, however, their influence in Libya and elsewhere to expand. How dangerous is the is still for the Region, but also outside?
The IS is very successful in it, Machtvakua in many Parts of the Middle East to fill. The group is stronger than Al-Qaeda it has ever been, especially with her network in Europe and its strong digital recruitment and Propagandaoperation. The IS Europe, long a major Problem. In Libya, for example, the EU may have no choice but to use military force to intervene when the IS there further spreading. Incidentally, this is only one of many reasons why Europe has the necessary capabilities, needs to have a credible common security and defence policy to develop.
Wolfgang Ischinger is the Chairman of the Munich security conference and a longtime German Diplomat.
The Interview was conducted by Michael Knigge.