BERLIN, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- A senior German politician said on Tuesday that the escalating tension in the Middle East may put the success of global anti-ISIS efforts in danger, slamming the United States' killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
Johann Wadephul, vice chairman of the parliamentary group of the ruling CDU/CSU bloc in the German lower parliament Bundestag, told Xinhua that the current situation in Iran and Iraq is a backlash for the alliance fighting against ISIS.
"Until now it has been confirmed that the Iraqi government will continue to fight against ISIS and stabilize the whole region... They want us to stay," said Wadephul.
The Iraqi parliament on Sunday passed a draft law requiring the government to end the presence of foreign forces in Iraq and prevent them from using Iraqi airspace and water.
Following tensions over the killing of Soleimani, the German government was moving some of its soldiers stationed in Iraq to Jordan and Kuwait, the German armed forces Bundeswehr confirmed on Tuesday.
"We have to do it (fight against ISIS) with Iraq. We are now talking with the Iraqi government about the consequences of the withdrawal of the troops. We hope we can go on fighting against ISIS within Iraq," Wadephul told Xinhua.
A German government spokesperson said on Monday that Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi on Monday about the Iraqi parliamentary draft law calling on foreign troops to leave the country, but no details were given.
The German lawmaker said that if the U.S. troops would have to leave Iraq, troops from Germany and other countries have to follow suit.
Tensions in the Middle East keep escalating in the past days after Soleimani's death, leading to great concerns in Germany and Europe.
"The killing has put the success of the war against ISIS in danger, and destabilized the whole region," said Wadephul. "It did not cause more security, but more uncertainty."
