German army to stop the IS-weapons smuggler

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Bundeswehr

German army to stop the IS-weapons smuggler

The Federal government wants to combat the causes of Flight. An example of this is the EU military mission, “Sophia”, now gets new powers. The previous experiences were, however, mixed.

The area of application of the existing EU-Mission “Sophia” comprises an area roughly the size of Germany. It is the coast of Libya and covers the Western Mediterranean coast of Tunisia and extends in the North to Sicily and the southern tip of Italy. The two German Navy ships, on Board the Italian flagship and the headquarters of the Operation in Rome currently has 400 soldiers of the Bundeswehr are involved in “Sophia”. Your task is in fact to combat criminal trafficking gangs to do the work of enlightenment and the illegal entry of refugees to curb. But, in reality, they are mostly in search and rescue, that is, you get refugees from tug boats on Board.

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Since last year, so the 15,000 refugees were brought to Italy. Who spoke with the parties Involved, heard how dissatisfied the soldiers. They felt themselves as a part of the tractor chain and had concerns, “to be the ferryman of the IS-terrorists”, as a commander in April, said in Berlin. Your goal-to fight the tractor, be difficult to implement. 60 to 70 of the smuggling suspects were taken, according to the EU and the Italian authorities. About 140 ships were destroyed.

Previous mandate, goal not achieved

A reason for this: The soldiers need to restrict their use on international waters, you may not be able to penetrate into the coastal waters of Libya. But you are closer to come the tractors – to watch if only to you. The really “big fish” do not approach the soldiers, anyway. Sitting in fancy office towers on the coast; for the EU is not accessible. With a wooden boat, on the 350 to 600 refugees fit, make the smuggling a turnover of a Million dollars.

Frontex, the European border protection Agency, assumes that there is currently on the Mediterranean sea-Route to 10,000 Departures per week from Libya. The more intensive Monitoring and rescue by the EU have led to the fact that the tractor will be sending uninhibited refugees in a little seaworthy boats on the trip, reported recently, Frontex Director Klaus Rösler in Brussels. Also in Berlin it was said that the Libya Route is still a “relevant Route for refugees”.

New Powers

The Federal government has now decided to a renewal and extension of the “Sophia”mandate. The new mandate is broader, also fixed that. The monitoring area should be extended in the direction of Egypt. Two tasks are added: The soldiers to combat weapons smuggling and on the other the Libyan government in the establishment of a coast guard and Navy support. Specifically, should now be stopped larger boats from Smugglers on the high seas, searched and seized. In the case of reasonable suspicion of smuggling of weapons you are allowed to search ships on the way from and to Libya.

The expansion of the Mandate, two policy decisions are based. The recently formed unity government in Libya has accepted the offer of the EU to support the country in the reconstruction of a coast guard. This could then fight directly to the smugglers. In a first step 100 Libyans to be trained on Board a ship. Italy will provide Libya with ten patrol boats. The training is a.to Land in EU member States or third States and, finally, directly on the future ships of the Libyan coast guard to be held

Help for the fragile Libyan state

The fight against the smuggling of weapons is possible, because the UN decided in June to an arms embargo, compliance with which is now to be implemented and controlled. The Libyan unity government is to be strengthened according to the wishes of the UN, by preventing extremist groups to be supplied across the Mediterranean with arms. The UN Reports that are to come, among other things, on Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates of illegal weapons to Libya. The political groups that were until recently enemies to benefit. There are suspicions that the Libyan branch of the IS-terrorist militia is profiting from smuggling and weapons. A spokesman for the foreign Ministry said in Berlin that the threats to Europe emanating from the IS in Libya, be greater than the from Syria and Iraq.

The EU foreign Ministers had agreed at the beginning of the week, the UN Embargo military to implement, which is why the “Sophia”-the EU should mandate be extended. The Bundeswehr wants to adapt to the potentially more dangerous use in the next few weeks. The concrete eiinsatz rules come from Brussels, said a spokesman for the defense Ministry in Berlin. It would probably still four to six weeks. Also the concrete design of the training component will be defined by the EU, and then to the German army.

The Bundestag decides

The current contingent of 400 soldiers could be doubled to a maximum of 950 more than the now valid rule to mandate ceiling. For action against arms smugglers also special “Boarding Teams” in conversation, can force searches, if necessary.

On Friday, the discussions on the renewal of the Mandate of the Mission, “Sophia” by 2017, and the new tasks to begin in the Bundestag. Before the summer break, the Parliament could agree at its last meeting week at the beginning of July, which is currently very likely. Participation in the Mission costs around € 45 million.