US: Washington has asked Germany to provide 2,000 troops to guard US bases in the country at the end of January, a government source said yesterday, as speculation mounted of a US-led attack on Iraq early next year.
In Washington, US defence officials declined to discuss numbers, but said the United States would welcome any offer from Berlin both to provide base security and not to interfere with potential movement of Americans troops in Germany.
A senior German government source said an informal request had been made for German forces to help guard barracks and other military installations as well as transport routes for US troops. A parliamentary source also confirmed the request.
A Defence Ministry spokesman said only that Germany had agreed to a US request for help guarding bases in case of war but was still examining when and how much support would be needed.
"A decision can be expected at the beginning of the new year," the spokesman said.
The United States has 71,000 troops, mostly army and air force, stationed at various bases around Germany. Despite German government opposition to a war with Iraq that has strained relations with Washington, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder assured President Bush last month that Germany will grant fly-over and transit rights for US forces. However, any troop movements are likely to attract protests from Germany's large pacifist movement and any war would raise the level of security alert for US installations in Germany.
A war and any German support for it is also likely to provoke tension in the ruling coalition of Schröder's Social Democrats and Greens partners, some of whom have said US fly-over rights should only be granted if there is a UN mandate for an attack on Iraq.
A Washington official said US Secretary of Defence Mr Donald Rumsfeld had met German Defence Minister Mr Peter Struck and that the United States would leave any announcement on German help to that government.
"We would welcome any offer of security help and would hope there would be no interference with any movements," the official said. The United States has been steadily building forces in the Gulf region.