Germany to step up global military intervention role http://www.irna.ir/ENNewsShow.aspx?NID=30393376&SRCH=1

Germany is to boost its international military intervention role, Defense Minister Thomas de Maziere told the German public television network ZDF on Wednesday evening.'We have to be prepared for many conceivable scenarios,' the minister said. The spectrum of German military missions abroad could include merely election monitoring as well as military intervention like what took place in the Balkan region, de Maziere added. 

The minister stressed the military operations don't have be necessarily linked to German national interests but could be part of the country's obligations  as part of the UN, NATO and the EU. De Maziere said up to 10,000 soldiers should be able to participate in various military missions abroad at the same time. There are presently more than 9,000 German troops deployed around the world of which over 5,300 soldiers are stationed in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led  International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

De Maiziere announced a major shake-up of the armed forces Wednesday in line with cost-saving cutbacks. German military forces, comprising the army, navy, air force, joint supply and joint medical corps, will be reduced to around 175,000 personnel from 220,000 today. Conscription was in effect abolished earlier this year. Furthermore, the number of German generals will be significantly lowered and several military bases in Germany are to be closed, de Maziere said.