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Christine Buchholz, Bernd Riexinger

International Human Rights Day Sees the Beginning of the German Bundeswehr’s Military Intervention in Syria

On the 10th of December the first tornado of the German Bundeswehr takes off to Syria. Bernd Riexinger, DIE LINKE party chair, and Christine Buchholz, DIE LINKE parliamentary group spokesperson for defence policy and member of the party executive board, declare:

The military intervention of German Bundeswehr begins on Human Rights Day. It is shameful and cynical of the federal government to having chosen the Human Rights Day as the beginning of a military intervention which goes against international law. In high speed the federal government railroaded a decision through parliament and rushes the army into a war mission headless and blindfold. Even before the German people have a chance to realize the extent of this war and its effects on their daily life, facts are being created.

DIE LINKE unanimously stands against this futile war, which will breed new terror, put thousands to flight, and already in the first year will cost more than 130 million euro. DIE LINKE as a peace party together with the peace movement, human rights organisations, and trade unions will fight against this military intervention which is against international law. A Bundeswehr supporting bomb attacks contributes to the further growing of hate and terror.

Arms delivered from all sides further fuel the war in the Middle East. The IS mainly uses weapons captured from Iraqi forces. They originate from more than a dozen countries, among them Russia, China, the U.S., as well as several EU countries, including Germany. DIE LINKE demands an immediate armaments prohibition in crisis regions.