German Troops to Train Iraqi Engineers

Germany and the UAE are discussing the possibility of the German armed forces training a battalion of engineers in the new Iraqi army in the UAE during the first half of 2005, Commander Dirk Stoelten of the German defense ministry told AFP news agency. He added that there would be further talks with the Iraqi defense ministry.

If it goes ahead, it would be the second such program involving German troops. They are currently training 130 Iraqi army truck drivers and mechanics at a military camp near the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, and Germany also trained Iraqi police in the UAE earlier this year, but this was handled by the interior ministry rather than armed forces.

The personal touch

Struck, who arrived in the UAE from Egypt on Thursday, is visiting the 30 German troops involved in the training at the camp, and is then due to fly by helicopter to Dubai to meet with his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, who is also Dubai's crown prince.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai are part of the seven-member UAE federation.

The German official is to fly back to Berlin later on Friday, Stoelten said. Struck met in Abu Dhabi late Thursday with the emirate's crown prince, Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed al-Nahayan, who is chief of staff of the UAE armed forces.

Germany, which fiercely opposed the Iraq war, has refused to send soldiers to join the US-led multinational coalition there but has agreed to train new Iraqi policemen and soldiers provided the training takes place outside the strife-torn country.