Germany considers strengthening ISAF forces

[Winner]

I saw that coming somehow .

BTW this is one of the reasons why I opened the therad - should Germany participate in combat actions after all ( assuming they are backed up by the UN etc ) ? Would such behaviour be accepted, is it necessary? Or should Germany refrain from such actions forever - or for a long time to come?

Personally, I don't understand the anti-German sentiments displayed by some of my countrymen. It's totally ridiculous. Germany is our main trade partner, an ally, a provider of the economic assistence we needed so badly in the 90's and it is one of the culturally closest country in Europe.

I can understand why old people have their doubts, but when I see young people ridiculing Germans and blaming them for what a totalitarian regime similar to the one we had did to their grandparents 65 years ago, I can't believe anyone can be so stupid.

 

[REDY]

I can understand why old people have their doubts, but when I see young people ridiculing Germans and blaming them for what a totalitarian regime similar to the one we had did to their grandparents 65 years ago, I can't believe anyone can be so stupid.

I think its because behaviour of Germans in the Czech republic.
Well they see there prostitutes, dirt and pickpockets, so I should understand it. I have met also some another foreigners who behave as Germans, in last years it were Brits. I dont think that many Czechs oppose German politics, exclude their European optimism and they dont see problem in Bundeswehr.

 

[Swedishguy]

Rumors are spreading that the German government is considering increasing the number of it´s troops in Afghanistan. This is an interesting development, as there were a lot of voices heard in the last months that proposed a complete withdrawal. Perhaps this change of mood is because of the recent kidnapping of two German engineers and the murder of one of them.

What do you think? Should Germany bolster it´s ISAF ( or OEF ) forces? Their mission would probably stay the same, though - reconstruction and police training rather than actual combat duty.
Would this be effective in any way?
Should Germany join the combat operations in Afghanistan?

( if someone can read German and is interested
http://www.heute.de/ZDFheute/inhalt/23/0,3672,5579415,00.html or
http://www.zeit.de/2007/31/Afghanistan )

It's the start of World War III!

 

[innonimatu]

GERMANY SAYS 'NO'

I´m also interested in this: is this issue ( and how ) discussed in your own country? Is the unwillingness of the Bundeswehr to participate in southern Afghanistan a topic abroad as well? How is it perceived?

Good for Germany. Screw the phony US "war on terror", meant from the start simply to serve the expansion of american influence in central asia and the Middle East. That war was never meant to be "won" but to foster instability that would justify permanent "protectorates" over strategic zones.
If european nations are to play at empires again (and I'm not defending that) they might as well play on their own, instead of serving the americans. Especially as the current US administration has finally overextended its resources and is in for a collapse of its worldwide influence. Wars cost money...

Frankly I believe most people in europe don't give a damn about the "war on terror" or the bogeyman of islamic terrorism. Religious fanatics in Afghanistan? Why should that concern Europe? It has more to do with the perennial India-Pakistan conflict. The only valid goal there (which europeans offered to hep with and were rebuffed, was the capture of those who claimed responsability for the 2001 attack). The interested party not only refused help in no uncertain terms, but also quickly abandoned that goal to pursue made-up terrorist threats (create them, actually) in Iraq.
Israel dug itself into a hole? Serves them right, they can handle their problems but have dragged them on by just refusing to really relinquish either territory or political control. Fanatics elsewhere? They're other nation's internal problems.

The whole islamic extremism thing was a reaction to the suppression of other political mechanisms that might have allowed those territories to develop in sync with the "west": Iran turned into an islamic theocracy in a reaction against the Shah's government, Afghanistan collapsed because some certain countries sponsored as "freedom fighters" those they now call "terrorists". Iraq descended from being a "westernized" country into anarchy after it got chosen as the stage for the demonstration of the sole late 20'th century aspiring "empire". And there are many other less obvious examples on other territories.

 

[warpus]

It really shouldn't matter to us at all. The Polish government might object to the idea of any German wielding a weapon anywhere in the world, but so what?

Uhm, I bet that the Polish contingent in Afghanistan would welcome German soldiers with open arms.

No need for the dramatic here.

 

[Riffraff]

While it's ok to ask for Germans to actively participate in the combat zones, I don't think the tone at the moment is helping. Especially since the ongoing deployment is already boarderline unconstitutional.

 

[HighlandWarrior]

i'd love to see germany with a real military again, german troops are(were?) the best at killing.

 

[storealex]

i'd love to see germany with a real military again, german troops are(were?) the best at killing.

Were. Probably still real good at it, but needs experience.

Anyway, Germany (And many other NATO countries) should take a more active role in Afghanistan. If they don't, Canada will leave. If Canada leaves, more might follow suit. And suddenly, the frontline will shift from Helman and Khandahar to the peaceful North. And German reluctance to seek the fight wont matter, since the fight will come to them.

 

[kronic]

Were. Probably still real good at it, but needs experience.

Anyway, Germany (And many other NATO countries) should take a more active role in Afghanistan. If they don't, Canada will leave. If Canada leaves, more might follow suit. And suddenly, the frontline will shift from Helman and Khandahar to the peaceful North. And German reluctance to seek the fight wont matter, since the fight will come to them.

No, because we'd be among those who'd be following Canada's lead.

 

[Thorbal]

Anyway, Germany (And many other NATO countries) should take a more active role in Afghanistan. If they don't, Canada will leave. If Canada leaves, more might follow suit. And suddenly, the frontline will shift from Helman and Khandahar to the peaceful North. And German reluctance to seek the fight wont matter, since the fight will come to them.

I have to agree. While it may have been wrong going there in the first place, now that we are there, we have to help as much as we are able to. Just pulling out after all this mess would be the wrong signal imho.

 

[sourboy]

Didn't we just have a thread yesterday stating how Germany refused a US request to raise troop numbers in Afghanistan?

 

[Thorbal]

Infidel! This thread is the original, being from July 2007 and was 3 days faster in posting the German rejection of the demand !

 

[sourboy]

You're right. So let's let this thread on out-dated material die off.

 

[Thorbal]

nobody likes me thread, everyone going to the other thread full of flames .

( ok, I give up, really no need for two threads discussing the same topic )