Struck told Welt am Sonntag newspaper the civil reconstruction of Iraq was “decisive”, adding: “That is no job for soldiers.”

The minister told German television late Saturday that a UN mandate was a precondition “for a civilian engagement in Iraq and for members of the German Bundeswehr in Iraq”.

Struck told ZDF the US administration took the view that the current occupation statute in Iraq would not be changed.

“As long as this position does not change there is no point talking about when and with what people we will go there,” he said.

Germany would wait to see what the United Nations decided. “And than we in the government will decide and, of course, parliament will have to decide whether we can and should help in Iraq, particularly in the civil reconstruction.”

Germany would “of course seriously consider” any such request from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, but such a request was not expected in the near future, he said.

In his interview with Welt am Sonntag, Struck meanwhile said that the situation in Afghanistan remained unstable and that the ISAF forces there had received new warnings of possible terror attacks.

Germany is still studying a possible mission in Kundus to protect civilian aid workers, he said.

“Afghanistan remains for the female and male soldiers a dangerous mission,” he said about the German troops serving in the International Security Assistance Force.

“We have again received warnings of new attacks against ISAF. As soon as these warnings become more concrete, we respond immediately,” Struck told the paper.

Struck said he expected German parliament would approve a bill calling for an expanded role of the German forces in Afghanistan.

The Berlin minister noted, however, that before German soldiers can be stationed in Kundus, there had to be a United Nations resolution to expand the ISAF mission. At present, the UN mandate for ISAF is only for Kabul and the immediate surrounding region.

Struck also warned the 14 European tourists, including nine Germans, released last week from their kidnappers in the Sahara Desert against trying to sell their story for profit.

He said Bundeswehr forces were involved since Easter with the operation in Algeria and in Mali to free the group.

“The costs are enormous. With consideration to the taxpayers, we expect people not to make a profit from their kidnapping but make fees for photos and stories available to the state,” he said.

He also said Germany would increase the number of its elite Commando Special Forces (KSK) unit from 450 to around 1,000.—dpa