Germany Calls for Stronger Europe Defense

Guardian ^ | May 21, 2003 | Tony Czuczka

[fightinJAG]

Germany Calls for Stronger Europe Defense

Wednesday May 21, 2003 8:09 PM

By TONY CZUCZKA

Associated Press Writer

BERLIN (AP) - Germany unveiled its first new military strategy in 11 years Wednesday, calling for stronger European defense capabilities while saying that the United States remains ``indispensable'' for Europe's security.

Defense Minister Peter Struck said Germany would shut nine bases and disband dozens of units over the next few years as the military shifts from a heavily armored bulwark at ground zero of the Cold War to a mobile, modern force for international peacekeeping missions and combating terrorism.

The strategy overhaul reflects events like the Balkan wars of the 1990s and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, which led Germany to send peacekeepers to Afghanistan, contribute troops for the U.S.-led war on terrorism and even saw German pilots help patrol U.S. skies.

``The result is that international conflict prevention and crisis management, including the fight against international terrorism, have moved up to No. 1 of our task spectrum,'' Struck said in a statement after Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Cabinet approved the new guidelines.

The new guidelines try to steer a middle course between recognition of U.S. power and Europe's quest for more military muscle of its own, which Struck said would allow European nations to intervene in trouble spots where the NATO alliance doesn't want to get involved.

But the document emphasized allegiance to Washington, strained in recent months by the German government's fierce anti-war stand on Iraq.

``Also in future, there can be no security in and for Europe without the United States,'' the paper said. ``Germany will continue to make a substantial contribution to the trans-Atlantic partnership.''

Despite a shrinking defense budget, the guidelines foresee Germany keeping a conscript army - something opposed by the Greens party, the junior coalition partner of Schroeder's Social Democrats.

[Puppage]

[xJones]

``Also in future, there can be no security in and for Europe without the United States,'' the paper said. ``Germany will continue to make a substantial contribution to the trans-Atlantic partnership.''

They're going to straddle that fence until the crack goes all the way up the back.

"Meanwhile, not back at Bush's ranch, Chirac is trying to chew the tapestries."

[sarasota]

Is this Schroeder's response to the US planned pullout of troops in his region? About time they took some action.

[fightinJAG]

That (pullout of US troops from Germany) probably is a factor. And it's not so much a defense as an economic issue.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

...the United States remains "indispensable" for Europe's security.

Especially when we have a DemonRat president that will do anything the socialist Euros want in order to run with the supposedly smart and sophisticated international crowd, or at least get invited to their cocktail parties.

Piss off, Germany. It's time for you Euro-weenies to step up and guard your own borders instead of relying on the U.S. You thanked us for guarding your borders for 50 years by colluding with Saddam Hussein and did everything to try to screw up our war effort. We should pull our military out of Germany and cancel all economic ties. Let them sit and ponder on that.

[xrp]

German pilots help patrol U.S. skies

Is this correct? Why don't we have enough military pilots to do this ourselves?

[fightinJAG]

Yes, since 9/11 German AWACS crews have been helping out with patrols in the U.S. This was to free up our own pilots to fight overseas.

[Bonaparte]

There is no way socialist Germany can build and maintain a effective modern defense force and keep its economic head above water. No way the EU can do this either. Without us, they can be attacked and overrun at any time.

We should leave Europe. Completely.

[wimpycat]

If their plan doesn't include increased defense spending, then it's not worth a damn.

[RightWhale]

Without us, they can be attacked and overrun at any time

By whom?

[fightinJAG]

And they don't have the dough for more defense spending. Socialism costs too dang much.

[Mike Darancette]

Germany unveiled its first new military strategy in 11 years

Since Europe will be destroyed from within, how will a military strategy help?

The German's might as well do what they do best; Go on vacation, wear speedos and eat sausages.

[Bonaparte]

"By whom?"

The same countries that are right now attempting to attack and overrun America. Do you really think that any country in Europe has the capability to do what we did in Iraq or even in Afghanistan?

Consider the combined capability of Russia and China. If they wanted to take out continental Europe, it wouldn't be hard to do, especially with the hated America no longer protecting it. I don't suggest that they do want to attack, only that they could.

[RightWhale]

It doesn't look like anyone has territorial ambitions in Europe these days, except maybe some Muslim revolutionaries and an army won't do much good in that case. Other countries are all democracies now and trading partners and doing not too badly. What does that leave? Bosnia, Israel, Chechnya. China is out of it. Russia wants to deal with Chechnya alone, Bosnia is forceably peaceful, and Russia and America are dealing with Israel. It all looks fairly much under control excepting the Muslim revolutionaries, and they can't do much of a significant political or military nature except lose. Europe could just about announce a state of peace and live in bliss forever.

[Bonaparte]

Sounds like continental Europe has no worries then. Better clue them in. I don't think they realize this.

[RightWhale]

continental Europe has no worries

That's right. Got to wonder why they are so psychologically depressed according to that poll. They are practically living in the Golden Age!

[Billthedrill]

While one can "do more with less," it doesn't appear that any of the activities listed are likely to enhance any existing capacity. Transitioning from a heavy-armor-based defense into something more modern, lighter, faster, and more appropriate to a redefined defense role will much more probably call for an increase in spending, and if it involves re-equipping even the existing forces, a fairly substantial increase. Creating a pan-EU armed force in addition to supporting NATO will call for a still larger increase.

Given the well-known German propensity for efficiency and thrift, I would be willing to suspend judgment in the face of even provisional figures, but the pie-in-the-sky blatherings of the existing government, well-known for its disdain for matters military no matter what the color of the uniform, do not constitute a plan. I don't think they're up to it.

[Bonaparte]

Golden Age is right, RW! Why, their economies are booming, everybody's got a great job, they don't have a care in the world! Gee, I sure do envy them.

[RightWhale]

Although it is hard to judge such distances from the bucolic environment of the true Arcadia, it does appear, considering the sharp perspective angle from this height, that the Euros are doing relatively well compared to everyone else on the planet. Sure, they are all crowded into a postage stamp of land, but state-sponsored socialism appears to be worth the inconvenience of breathing everyone else's exhalations.