Minister Roger Lewentz was As a country interior with a Delegation from the Rhineland-Palatinate in Washington, he met a General, who, after the solemn part aufknöpfte his jacket. Lewentz was a little surprised. The man was wearing the Uniform the Jersey of 1. FC Kaiserslautern. During his time on the edge of the Palatinate forest, the soldier had played in Kaiserslautern football. There are many formerly in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate Stationed in the American military, which would have a special relationship to its state, is the Minister of the interior in Mainz for sure.
Timo Frasch
Political correspondent in Munich.
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Rüdiger, they
Political correspondent in the state of Baden-Württemberg.
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Timo Steppat
editor in the policy.
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The SPD politician Lewentz Confidence radiates. The American Ministry of defence had announced on Wednesday the deployment of Troops that would meet in addition to locations in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the Air Force Base in Spangdahlem in the Eifel. In Mainz you have followed the press conference of the Ministry of defense, but that’s exactly. The American bases Ramstein and Baumholder are not affected in the state, on the other, the speech was that only pilots, aircraft and mechanics should be deducted from Spangdahlem.
Lewentz interprets that as a Signal for the preservation of the site, which shall apply so far as a fallback option for the air force in Ramstein. Against a complete closure of the fact that the American government had invested in the past 15 years, according to figures from the Rhineland-Palatinate state government 400 million dollars in the air base, the last of which 87 million dollars. “If I were a member of Congress, I would think exactly, in these tough economic times to a new location in Italy to build,” said Lewentz of the F. A. Z.
How much remains, if the F-16 squadron will be deducted?
the member of Parliament Patrick Schnieder (CDU), whose constituency Bitburg also includes Spangdahlem, said that the safety do politically makes little sense and the American taxpayer a lot of money no matter the cost. “Nevertheless, we must take this seriously and now concepts for the redevelopment,” says Schnieder. It should come to the withdrawal of the F-16-flight season, not staying much. A change of use, as on the former American military base in Bitburg managed, could work in Spangdahlem more difficult.
It is nearly a thousand jobs on the base, but also butchers, car dealers, and landlords who live in the economically weak Region so far, especially from the soldiers. Lewentz not urges to fiddle with the location of Spangdahlem. In Mainz it is also speculated that the relocation of a squadron to Italy need his time, until then, the American election is over the fight, and another government might think differently.
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Similar hopes in Stuttgart. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Green) fears that the withdrawal of American military command from Stuttgart, Germany “cut an emotional bond” between the German and American citizens, and the “TRANS-Atlantic relations” could be disturbed. “We hope that the appeal made by the Minister presidents of the four affected Federal States of Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, to members of the us Congress hearing. Maybe revise a new American President will make the decision,“ says Kretschmann, the F. A. Z.
