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German Defense Minister cancels Iraq visit as outrage grows over European Quran burnings

The German war chief sought to visit Iraq to extend a parliamentary mandate allowing German troops to remain in the country

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has canceled a planned trip to Iraq and Jordan, a ministry spokesperson said on 23 July, due to security concerns after the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad was set on fire last week in a protest over Quran burning demonstrations in Europe, Reuters reported.

On Thursday, supporters of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the Swedish embassy, causing Sweden to withdraw its staff. Days later, Baghdad expelled the Swedish ambassador and recalled its diplomatic staff from Stockholm in protest against the Nordic country's continued support of hate speech.

Thousands of Muslims across the Islamic world rallied last week and called on their nations to expel Swedish officials. Hundreds of Iraqis also tried to storm the Danish embassy last week after Copenhagen allowed another burning of the Quran and of the Iraqi flag outside the Iraqi embassy.

“The background for the decision is the current developments in Iraq, where there have been violent riots against the Embassy of Sweden and an NGO from Denmark in recent days,” Kevin Huuk, a spokesman for the defense ministry, said via e-mail. “Further security-related protests and an aggravation of the situation can’t be ruled out at this point in time.”

Shafaq News noted that the cancellation was “highly unusual,” the decision was made when the plane carrying the minister and his delegation was ready to take off from Berlin. The trip was part of the process to extend the parliamentary mandate for a small contingent of German military personnel who are reportedly training Iraqi troops.

Germany sent troops and military advisors to Iraq in 2014, allegedly to participate in a coalition to fight ISIS. Germany continues to provide consultation and training to the Iraqi security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga. The German army has been primarily based in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Defense Minister Pistorius took office in January 2023 after being appointed by Prime Minister Olaf Scholz and following the resignation of Christine Lambrecht.

Viewed as popular in Germany, Pistorius vowed to assume a more assertive foreign policy in an interview with the New York Timesbefore a trip to Washington in June. He laid out plans for Germany to increase its arms deliveries and take a more aggressive role in Europe, where the Ukraine-Russia war rages, and the Indo-Pacific region, where US-China tensions are growing.

In February, the Washington Post commentedthat Pistorius was the “one German politician who is serious about arming Ukraine.”