Germany

Trump Approves Cutting 9,500 Troops in Germany: Pentagon

President Donald Trump has approved a plan to slash the US military presence in Germany by 9,500 troops, the Defense Department said.

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Pentagon to Give Trump Options to Reduce Troops in Germany

Defense Secretary Mark Esper will present President Donald Trump with a series of options Monday to withdraw thousands of US troops from Germany, with many moving to eastern Europe, the Pentagon said Saturday. “Secretary Esper met with President Trump on Wednesday to discuss our presence in Europe,” said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman. “On Monday the Secretary will brief the President at the White House on options for our force posture in Germany.” According to two senior Pentagon officials, the plan calls for cutting the permanent US troop presence in Germany to 25,000, as Trump announced June 15, for a reduction of 9,500 troops. Some of the 9,500 will return to the US, while others will be transferred to former Soviet-bloc countries, the two officials said, speaking on grounds of anonymity. That shift, they added, would be meant as a clear warning to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, whose military ambitions were underscored by the 2014 annexation of the Crimea. The two officials did not say to which European country the troops might be moved, as that is among the options to be presented to the US president. But Trump, meeting at the White House on Wednesday with Polish President Andrzej …

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German court tries ISIS suspect over Yazidi genocide

A man believed to have belonged to ISIS is on trial in Germany accused of genocide and murdering a child belonging to the Yazidi minority who he held as a slave

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First Syrian state torture trial begins in Germany

Two alleged former Syrian intelligence officers go on trial in Germany, accused of crimes against humanity in the first court case over state-sponsored torture

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Germany to purchase 93 Eurofighters, 45 F-18s to replace Tornado bombers, AKK says

Germany is planning to purchase 93 Eurofighters as well as 45 US-made F-18s to replace its aging Tornado bomber-fighter jet fleet, Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said

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Germany to replace Tornado bombers with Airbus and Boeing fighter jets

Germany confirmed it aims to replace its aging fleet of Tornado fighter-bombers with aircraft from both European manufacturer Airbus and US-based Boeing

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Germany arrests 5 Tajiks in suspected ISIS cell planning attacks on US forces

German police arrested five Tajik nationals on suspicion that they were members of an ISIS cell that had been planning attacks on US forces

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US to ‘reduce participation’ and adjust showcase Exercise Defender-Europe 20 over coronavirus concerns

EUCOM is to reduce the number of US participants in its showcase Exercise Defender-Europe 20 over coronavirus concerns

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NATO exercises will go ahead despite coronavirus concerns, Stoltenberg says

NATO will press ahead with large-scale military exercises mobilising thousands of troops despite worries about the coronavirus

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Three Irish soldiers injured in IED blast east of Gao in Mali

Three Irish soldiers sustained minor injuries when an improvised explosive device exploded near their convoy east of Gao in eastern Mali

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