GERMANY'S MILITARY TO TAKE ON GLOBAL ROLE...

What a -great- time it is to be alive.

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Germany in radical shake-up of military

By Hugh Williamson in Berlin

Published: October 24 2006 22:17 | Last updated: October 24 2006 22:17

Germany will on Wednesday adopt the most radical restructuring of its
military since 1945, turning the Bundeswehr into an international
intervention force, according to an internal cabinet strategy paper obtained
by the Financial Times.

The paper, which will be endorsed at a special cabinet meeting in the
defence ministry, is the product of a review - the first of its kind since
1994 - begun by Angela Merkel, chancellor, after she won office last
November. It will see Germany's military officially abandon its primary
postwar task of defending the country's borders in favour of a more robust
role for German troops on international missions.

The military's most sensitive international deployment since the second
world war came this month when the German navy took control of patrolling
Lebanese waters to stop weapons smugglers. The military has taken part in
other international missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, for example, but has
largely avoided direct involvement in war zones.

The 133-page strategy paper argues that the capacity of the Bundeswehr must
be expanded to allow for the deployment of a total of 14,000 troops to five
international missions simultaneously.

This will be achieved by drawing troops previously deployed on national
defence into units involved in staffing or supporting overseas missions.

The Bundeswehr has about 250,000 military personnel, including about 50,000
conscripts. About 9,000 troops are currently overseas in Afghanistan,
Kosovo, Congo and elsewhere.

The paper confirms conscription will be retained.

Henning Riecke, European security specialist at Berlin's DGAP foreign policy
institute, said the paper will "give German policymakers a way of handing
increasing international pressure to join overseas missions".

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2006

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125 From: Popeye - view profile
Date: Thurs, Aug 26 1999 12:00 am
Email: buzcutt...@aol.com.Byteme (Popeye)
Groups: rec.scuba


>>>I knew that you guys are taught a slightly distorted picture of WWII
>>>(just as probably every one else is), but I didn't realise that it was
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>>*that* inaccurate.

>Do you not think that answers your question ?

Sooo... you agree that your nationalistic view of your country's role in the
war is as prejudicial as ours may be

P.S. Now that the two Germanys are once again united, I hope... you are REAL
good freinds with them...


--
Popeye
It was when Lucifer first congratulated
himself upon his angelic behavior that he
became the tool of evil. -Hammarskjöld
www.finalprotectivefire.com