the announcement of The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Germany is not surprising. For a year, the former U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell and the American President Donald Trump threatened again and again in order to have the "duty forgotten, offending" Germany, for its from the point of view of the White house to low defense spending to "punish".

The German government was informed officially only on the day of the decision, so on this Monday, of the possible withdrawal. The NATO allies were not well informed at all. So anyway, a response from the Secretary-General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg, on a question of the DW is to be understood at a press briefing on Tuesday.

"last week, that was still an unconfirmed report in the media. Now we have confirmation," said Mr Stoltenberg. President Trump had commented yesterday on a report question for a sec.

"How and when will be implemented the Whole, is still not clear. Therefore, it is important that we lead in NATO in a dialogue about it," said the Secretary-General in Brussels. In the Rest of the adjustments of the troops were strengths is nothing New and quite normal.

The three-minute-long appearance of the US President, Trump to his decision raises a lot of questions. Some of them are answered here:

How many troops should be withdrawn from Germany?

President Trump speaks to the idea that it would be in the Moment of 52,000 American soldiers in Germany and that he wanted to halve this figure "25,000". In fact, 34.500 soldiers and about 17,000 civilian Employees of the U.S. armed forces in Germany at the moment, according to the U.S. Department of defense stationed.

In the case of a reduction in the number of soldiers to 25,000 so the 9500 would be deducted. The number of indeed, in Germany the American soldiers varies greatly, as the troops rotate and sometimes overlap or at times larger quotas to temporary NATO Exercises on the troop exercise area Grafenwöhr on-the-go.

What are the troops of the U.S. army stationed in Germany?

The United States maintained in Ramstein is a major air force base that serves mainly as a hub for operations in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa. In Landstuhl, the U.S. armed forces operate a large military hospital. In Wiesbaden and Stuttgart command Central for missions are located in Africa and Europe.

In grafenwoehr is the largest NATO military exercise entertain place. In the Rhine Dahlem, a squadron of F is stationed-16 combat aircraft. These troops are part of NATO defence structures in Europe.

Larger combat units for the defence of Germany are, unlike the President, Trump claimed. To relocate the facilities, or subtracted, would, in the opinion of military experts is possible, but very expensive. Militarily and strategically, a weakening of the presence would have little meaning.

Why remove the United States troops?

Donald Trump referred to Germany as "delinquent", what you forget as a criminal, obligation or default can translate. He makes no secret of the fact that it is a political criminal action. "We reduce it to 25,000 and then we'll see what happens," he said on Monday.

Germany had carved out of the USA in trade, with its export surplus and the purchase of natural gas in Russia for decades over the ear. Apparently, Berlin is now forced by reduced forces to Change the trade policy.

Who has to pay for these troops?

In NATO the principle applies that the costs for setups and operations shall be borne by the sending country. The personnel costs for all U.S. forces in Europe come from the military budget of the United States. In 2019 the US has spent about 30 billion euros. This corresponds to almost five percent of the entire budget in the Pentagon.

The statement from President Trump, Germany owe the United States for the stationed soldiers, billions of dollars, is so wrong. Each member country has to pay for his troops himself.

German Bundeswehr soldiers in Afghanistan, for example, be paid out of the German Treasury, and not by NATO.

member countries paid in debt to NATO?

The statement from President Trump, Germany, and other NATO members had betrayed the Alliance for many years and are not owed to the NATO billions of dollars, is incomprehensible. Each member country is responsible for its defense budget.

The NATO is not a club or Association, to the "member contributions" must be paid. NATO is only a comparable small community budget in the amount of EUR 2.1 billion for headquarters and infrastructure.

the United States and Germany from 2021 to an equal share of 16 percent. The Rest is distributed according to a key on the other 27 members of NATO.

Is adhered to the Two-percent target for defense spending?

2014, before the inauguration of President Trump, the NATO countries, their defence spending to two per cent of their respective gross domestic to increase product in the year 2024. Germany will not reach this goal, but probably not until 2031, two percent for defense spending.

at The Moment, meet eight members of NATO, the Two-percent target. Most of the others were well on the way there, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is always to log. The accusation of the US President, Trump, Germany, increase its budget too slowly, so properly. However, in Germany, in absolute Numbers, according to the USA today, the second-highest amount in the Alliance for its defense budget.

The missing billion, but according to the NATO logic is not a "debt", made in the USA. On burden-sharing in NATO is more or less a fight since its inception.

Apples and pears?

comparisons of defence expenditure within NATO are difficult, because each state pays for other tasks on its defense budget. These expenses must also have nothing to do with NATO or military combat power.

Greece and Turkey, for example, have relatively high expenditure, because you need to hold due to unresolved border conflicts each other in chess. France settles on its defence budget for its fire Department. In Germany, the pensions for former armed forces members can be found in the defense budget.

The United States give to 3.42 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the military, by the way, is 0.3 percent less than in 2014. The military budget for the world's troops stationed in the United States for the benefit of, but only just under half of NATO tasks in the narrower sense, estimates the consulting firm McKinsey, in an analysis.

The share of U.S. expenditure for NATO is located at around 1.7 per cent of GDP - that is, if you have not calculated it so that even the United States achieve the desired target of 2 percent.

Trump brought 140 billion euros for the Alliance?

The American President, not just for modesty known, boasted on Monday that he had ensured that the NATO members had set for 2016 of around 140 billion Euro more in your budget. Therefore, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, his biggest Fan. Stoltenberg himself had shown at the last NATO summit in November in London for something different.

It is true that the households are in nominal terms grow to 140 billion, but this obligation comes from the year 2014. Then President Barack Obama had complained like Trump, but not so loud about the Europeans as free riders and boarders of American military benefited makes, to pay, without even enough.

author: Bernd Riegert Trumps troop withdrawal from Germany, irritated by NATO PCP Trumps troop withdrawal from Germany irritated NATO

*The post "trump's withdrawal from Germany: troops you ask for?" is published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.

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Date Of Update: 17 June 2020, 00:26