German Defense Minister Cancels Iraq Trip on Security Concerns

Shafaq News/ German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius canceled a trip to Iraq at the last minute, citing security risks in the country after unrest over perceived anti-Muslim demonstrations in Sweden intensified.

The highly unusual move came on Sunday with the plane carrying the minister and his delegation ready to take off from Berlin. The trip was part of the process to extend the parliamentary mandate for a small contingent of German military personnel who are training Iraqi troops.

“The background for the decision is the current developments in Iraq, where there have been violent riots against the Embassy of Sweden and an NGO from Denmark in recent days,” Kevin Huuk, a spokesman for the defense ministry, said via e-mail. “Further security-related protests and an aggravation of the situation can’t be ruled out at this point in time.”

Protesters had stormed and set fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad last week, responding to an upcoming demonstration in Stockholm that was expected to include the burning of a Koran, the holy book of Islam. Amid the uproar, Iraq severed diplomatic ties with Sweden and suspended the license of Ericsson AB.