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Germany Has Insufficient NATO Forces, Opposition Official Says

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 06:00 CDT

Text of commentary by Hans-Juergen Leersch entitled "Struck lacks soldiers for NATO Rapid Response Forces" published by the German newspaper Die Welt on 12 September

Berlin: In the opposition's view, Germany will not be able to make available the soldiers promised to NATO for the alliance's rapid response forces next year. The defence policy spokesman of the Union's [Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union, CDU/ CSU] Bundestag group, Christian Schmidt (CSU), has accused Defence Minister Peter Struck (SPD) [Social Democratic Party of Germany] of having too few response forces in reserve.

"And moreover, these forces are also promised to the EU and will be needed for one's own foreign deployments," said Schmidt ahead of the meeting of NATO defence ministers beginning in Berlin tomorrow. They want to discuss above all the issue of setting up the NATO Rapid Response Forces. The units are to be available next year and are to be deployed at short notice in conflicts, civil wars and massive human rights violations. Germany has promised 6,000 soldiers.

Schmidt accused Struck, in connection with the Bundeswehr reform, of having organized a much too small number of rapid response forces. According to Bundeswehr planning, 35,000 soldiers are available for so-called "hot deployments". However, they cannot be deployed simultaneously. Schmidt advocated a "balance of response and stabilization forces according to the threat [level]". The stabilization forces that, for instance, are kept in reserve for less risky foreign deployments such as in Sarajevo (Bosnia- Hercegovina), must be better equipped. In the overall spectrum of possible security dangers, the Bundeswehr must be present and compatible with the capabilities of the allied partners.

Schmidt also called for a "new orientation of the strategic designs of NATO". The alliance must orient its strategic concept more strongly towards the threat posed by international terrorism. "The attacks on New York, Washington, Madrid and London make it clear that security today is no longer defined purely as geographical, but functional. We no longer defend territories and borders, but meet the dangers where they arise," Schmidt said.

He demanded an initiative, "Berlin plus", by the NATO defence ministers to improve cooperation with the European Union and to fight threats better. The EU plans rapid response forces as well. Schmidt demanded that both NATO and the EU must be able to mutually utilize their military structures.

Source: BBC Monitoring European

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