Germany is sending more soldiers to Kuwait to serve in international anti-terrorism efforts, a small but symbolic step meant to show that its refusal to back an Iraq invasion is offset by solidarity with the United States on another front. The 30 soldiers will depart next week, joining nearly 60 already stationed in Kuwait as part of a U.S.-led task force on the lookout for attacks involving germs, poison gas or radiation, German Defense Minister Peter Struck said Wednesday. The German involvement is one of a growing number of foreign missions the country has taken on in recent years, including the dispatch of peacekeepers to Afghanistan in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. Such missions, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder argues, show that Germany can meet its international responsibilities without having to join in any war against Iraq. Germany has some 8,500 soldiers abroad in 10 countries on three continents, mainly in the Balkans and Afghanistan. Only the United States has more troops abroad on peace missions, Schroeder says. Full Story
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