BERLIN, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder hinted at a revamped government Monday in which his majority Social Democrats would dump their junior coalition partner, the Greens, unless anti-war Greens in parliament support a plan to send 3,900 German troops to fight terrorism.
Schröder delivered the veiled threat by holding pre-announced talks in Berlin -- behind closed doors -- with Guido Westerwelle, the head of the Free Democratic Party.
The liberal Free Democrats were the junior coalition party for decades, ruling with the parties of former chancellors Helmut Kohl, Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt. But since taking office in 1998, Schröder's party has ruled with the liberal Alliance 90/The Greens.
After meeting Schröder to discuss the proposed German deployment to the Afghan conflict, Westerwelle told reporters that Free Democrats in parliament fully backed Schröder's plan to contribute air, naval and special forces for at least one year.
Parliament's lower house, the Bundestag, is scheduled to vote on the chancellor's proposal Thursday. The plan -- based on a Washington request and tied to a broader international military alliance -- is expected to win a majority in parliament. But the victory will be narrow and only possible because Schöder won support from the Social Democrats' chief rival, the conservative Christian Democrats, as well as the Free Democrats.
Anti-war Greens have cast a shadow over Schröder's desire to unite the German government squarely behind the U.S.-led war against terrorism. The appearance of disunity also could hurt Berlin's efforts at playing a larger role in world diplomacy, especially in the Middle East.
The possibility that the coalition government might collapse over the terrorism-deployment debate emerged last week, after some Greens balked at the military proposal worked out between Washington and the Schröder cabinet over the past month.
Despite strong support for the plan from the Greens' leader, Foreign Affairs Minister Joschka Fischer, some party members in parliament oppose the war outright and others want to add conditions to the deployment plan. Under one proposed amendment -- rejected by Schröder -- German troops would be deployed only if the U.S. bombing campaign is suspended during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Last week, a furious Fischer warned that he might step down unless his party colleagues vote with Social Democrats for the military plan. But the Greens' anti-war faction is reportedly gaining steam and, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 70 percent of delegates to next week's party convention are expected to vote against the Afghan conflict.
In a similar way, the coalition government was in trouble three months ago when Greens threatened to scuttle Schröder's plan to send German troops to NATO peacekeeping efforts in Macedonia. The troops were deployed, but the partnership was bruised.
Presumably, the Social Democrats could replace the Greens with the Free Democrats and still have enough votes in parliament to control the government. But some in Berlin have speculated that a collapse of the current coalition could prompt Schröder to call an early election; the next scheduled election is in September.
Speaking to reporters, Westerwelle said while tackling the deployment issue, the government's ruling coalition parties must "solve the problems, or the problems will be looking at new majorities." He also criticized the current coalition for allowing the junior party to dictate foreign policy.
In addition to Westerwelle, Schröder on Monday discussed the military proposal and the upcoming vote with the Social Democrats' secretary-general, Franz Muentefering. Emerging from the meeting was an announcement that all deployed German troops would be strictly under German command.
The German deployment would include only about 100 soldiers --all with an elite special forces unit -- in actual ground combat. The rest would be sent with a medical unit for evacuating casualties, a naval force to protect transport ships, an armored vehicle detachment and air transport units.
