That's typical media sensationalist create controversy stupid stuff....... but the fact that they in their typical do nothing approach aren't helping in Libya is bad enough.
The Germans are a moocher within NATO. They DEMAND that others come to help in the Balkans crisis, a war which they were one of the political instruments for (They pushed for this war). They DEMAND that they be put under the NATO missile defense umbrella even though they internally use this issue for political gain and bash the US (Destabilize the world, cause a new arms race.....). They will politically play games and tear into US intelligence operations that are forward deployed in their country like at Bad Aibling, but they also EXPECT that we share intel with. They EXPECT that our and other Navy's come to the rescue of their merchant ships in hostile waters. They EXPECT that when Germans are taken hostage in Latin and Sounth America we assist them since we have a huge influence in this area. They EXPECT that if there is a non-combatant evacuation operation as in Africa that we evacuate their citizens too....... But they themselves see no obligations, commitments or requirements towards anyone else. ***Don't ever depend on them, not even after 911!*** What did Schoerder’s “Uneingeschraenkte Solidaritaet” really mean? But they will DEMAND that they have complete and free access to all the worlds shipping routes via air and sea, strategic resources (traded on free markets all have access too and are required to sustain an industrial and high tech economy: oil, cesium, platinum, gold, silver, copper), that others come to help if there is a national security issue relevant to them such as in the Balkans. Most importantly to them, as in Iraq today, they think even though they sabotaged the war effort, that they should be given full and unrestricted access to these markets even though they did nothing and even worked against those removing the Ba’ath regime and later stabilizing the nation. That's the German moral “high ground.” As the Austrians, they are a “schmarotzer Staat” that post 1989 when the threat picture went away became a complete waste of time. Post 1989 because they have no immanent and direct threat they became not only a do nothing, but they even began to abuse and exploit these campaigns politically.
The Germans take this do as little, as late, from as far away as possible approach and then try to spin it as if this is an issue where they have the moral high ground, are more intellectual and cultured for having done nothing, once again. And it's ALWAYS the same story. But I guarantee you- no matter what the outcome in Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Iran, etc..... they will want to sell their crap there while they scream “kein Blut fuer Oel” at us! Who knows, maybe some German Chancellor can get another job at Gazprom? lol
I see Germany’s point, however. They don’t want to go to war with Libya — and that is what this “no fly zone” is, —yet they as a NATO member may still be drawn into it because of the “all for one” nature of the NATO alliance. So naturally they want to opt out of this one early and firmly.