Posted on 08/15/2006 3:37:01 PM PDT by Pokey78
GERMANY was poised yesterday to shatter its most enduring postwar taboo by sending troops into the cauldron of Lebanon, where they risk coming into direct conflict with Israelis.
As troops from France, Italy, Spain, Turkey and other donor nations prepared to deploy in southern Lebanon, Germany’s late decision to participate ranked as its most delicate foreign policy move since it was held to account for the Holocaust in 1945. Since then, it has been unthinkable that Germany would put itself in a combat situation in which its soldiers could shoot at Jews.
The decision to deploy troops to join the 15,000-strong Unifil peacekeeping force was made by Angela Merkel, the Chancellor, in consultation with three Cabinet ministers. They agreed to take on such a big and unaccustomed role in their first venture into the Middle East because of the difficulties of recruiting enough well-trained and properly equipped peacekeepers for the mission.
“We have to do this, not in spite of the Holocaust but because of it,” Werner Sonne, a leading commentator, said on German state television. “If German troops guard Israel’s borders, they are they to protect Jewish lives. Frankly, there has never been a better reason to bring in soldiers in German uniform.”
Frau Merkel seems ready to send some 3,000 troops, of whom about 1,000 will be Pioneers with heavy earth-moving equipment to help to rebuild airports and harbours. The navy, already in the eastern Mediterranean on the operation “Active Endeavour”, would be strengthened with frigates to patrol the coast of Lebanon.
The German Air Force is being put on stand-by to fly reconnaissance missions from Cyprus and the German Border Service could be put on patrol along the LebaneseSyrian border to stop the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah. German soldiers could find themselves drawn into a firefight in any of these theatres.
France will command the force with lead elements arriving in the coming days. The French appear ready to send 5,000 soldiers, Italy 3,000 soldiers and Turkey a further 1,500. German diplomats say that one priority is to convince other Muslim countries, such as Malaysia and Indonesia, to commit troops as well.
Unifil is supposed to patrol the rugged region of southern Lebanon from the Israeli border north to the Litani river, an area dominated by Hezbollah. The peacekeepers intend to offer support to 15,000 troops from the Lebanese Army.
The biggest challenge facing the soldiers is upholding the commitment by the UN to “disarm” Hezbollah and return the region to Lebanese Government control. If the ceasefire breaks down and tit-for-tat attacks resume, peacekeepers will have to use force against the Israeli military or Hezbollah fighters, or do nothing.
Germany has been encouraged to send a big contingent by the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, a sign that the Holocaust taboo is beginning to crumble. Yet some German observers believe that a degree of calculation lies behind the Israeli enthusiasm. In a fast-moving exchange of fire, German soldiers might give the Israelis the benefit of the doubt.
A foretaste of the problems facing Germany in its new Middle Eastern role came yesterday when Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister, called off a visit to Damascus after President Assad, of Syria, described Israel as “the enemy”.
# Jerusalem The head of the Israeli Armed Forces was under pressure last night to resign after reports that he had sold his share portfolio three hours after the Hezbollah kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers on July 12 that led to the war in Lebanon. Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz denied any impropriety. The daily newspaper Maariv said that he sold shares worth 120,000 shekels (£14,600). Share prices in Israel fell by about 12 per cent and now stand slightly below prewar levels. (Reuters)
Well, considering that the Holocaust was over 60 years ago this looks like media BS
yeah, really, you would think they all still hate the jews.
Not BS... a chance to make amends. Finally...
The sins of the father are not his children's cross to bear.
No, but having lived 5 years in Germany, most feel it just the same.
Dear Germans: Do I really need to explain why this is such a bad idea?
Put a modern German army next to Israel and they will blow your a$$ off the map if you so much as twitch their direction. They are freakin kidding when they said "Never Again" and some of those people manning the guns had grandparent generation relatives in your gas chambers.
Correction ... they are NOT freaking kidding about the words "Never Again"
I hope so... I hope so.....
Wow, that's a foreboding headline. And very misleading, IMO.
Is this really a problem? I'd be more worried about Frenchies or other Arab troops there. Not Germany.
Does Europe need to 'move on'? I know they need to worry about their own invasion.
JWA
Putting anti-semitic euros between Israela and anti-semiti arabs is just retarded.
"peace keepers" in Lebanon?
Good. Don't bring any guns then. Negotiate with the baddies and ask them to give up theirs.
And this is the Bundeswehr, not the Wehrmacht.
Guess she liked that neckrub.
We've never had a problem with Israel confronting anyone. The problem is that there aren't enough countries willing to confront Hezbollah.
Care to justify this idiotic statment?
Your naivete is that you think Germans haven't already done this.
Have you faced up to what you did to native Americans? Oh wait, that wasn't you, it was a totally different generation. Of course, you would do it again right? You wouldn't, because you have learned from history. Oh.
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