German Chancellor Says No Troops To Iraq

13 October 2004 -- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said today that his country's policy on Iraq has not changed and Germany has no plans to send any troops to that country.

Schroeder made his comments following a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Rome. The German chancellor was clarifying Germany's position on Iraq after comments earlier in the day from German Defense Minister Peter Struck who indicated in an interview with the "Financial Times" newspaper that Germany might consider sending troops to Iraq at some point in the future.

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher also confirmed Germany's position had not changed.

Boucher said Secretary of State Colin Powell had called Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to see if there had been a shift in Germany's position toward sending troops to Iraq and Fischer replied there had not.

(AFP/Reuters)