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Germany's Schäuble calls for expansion of military operations
Deutsche Welle ^ | 01.31.2020 | ls/sms (dpa, AFP)

Posted on 01/31/2020 4:01:37 AM PST by Olog-hai

Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble told the Funke media group of regional newspapers on Friday that Germany needed to take more responsibility in military affairs with its allies.

“We can’t hide. If Europe is to play a stronger role, then we must play our part,” Schäuble said. “We cannot leave everything to the French and the Americans.”

The veteran lawmaker and long-time minister in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinets said he supported German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer’s plans to streamline the Bundeswehr and boost defense spending to reach NATO’s target of 2% of GDP.

“When France asks us to do more about the security situation in Mali, our responses do not trigger enthusiasm in Paris,” Schäuble said. “The lessons from Auschwitz cannot be an argument for not taking on a permanent commitment.”

Schäuble recognized that expanding Bundeswehr missions could have a “moral cost.” However, Germany “cannot, in any case, continue to pass on the moral costs to others.” …

(Excerpt) Read more at dw.com ...


TOPICS: Germany; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bundeswehr; eussr; fourthreich; france; mali; nato; rop; schaeuble

1 posted on 01/31/2020 4:01:37 AM PST by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai
Last year, Kramp-Karrenbauer pledged to boost defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2031. If Berlin follows through with that pledge, it could make Germany the third-largest defense spender behind the United States and China.

Let's put this in perspective, the idea is to increase spending to agreed levels after 11 years! At that point Germany will hardly have the world's third-largest and effective defense force even if it is the world's third largest defense spender. It will take at least 11 years of full commitment to get the German defense forces to a respectable level above their current pathetic state.


2 posted on 01/31/2020 4:33:24 AM PST by nathanbedford (attack, repeat, attack! Bull Halsey)
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To: Olog-hai

One actually has to have a military that can fight to do what you desire. Germany no longer has that.


3 posted on 01/31/2020 4:37:50 AM PST by Freeport (The proper application of high explosives will remove all obstacles.)
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To: Freeport

Aside from their much-unreported moves to assimilate the militaries of other EU nations under Bundeswehr command, they’re still the fourth-largest arms exporter in the world. All it would take is a strong leader to do that. And they still have antipathy towards the USA, as does the EU in general.


4 posted on 01/31/2020 4:45:22 AM PST by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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To: Olog-hai

Germany should enlist their new muzzie immigrants, train them...and give them guns.

What could go wrong?


5 posted on 01/31/2020 5:15:50 AM PST by moovova
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To: nathanbedford

Germany’s military is a jobs program, like America’s schools.


6 posted on 01/31/2020 5:17:36 AM PST by babble-on
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To: babble-on
My son and his girlfriend are very close to a serving warrant officer in the German army and his wife. They report the morale in the force is rock bottom.


7 posted on 01/31/2020 5:20:20 AM PST by nathanbedford (attack, repeat, attack! Bull Halsey)
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To: Olog-hai

““We can’t hide. If Europe is to play a stronger role, then we must play our part,” Schäuble said. “We cannot leave everything to the French and the Americans.”

This is what Trump has been asking them to do.


8 posted on 01/31/2020 5:40:52 AM PST by nuconvert ( Warning: Accused of being a radical militarist. Approach with caution.)
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To: nuconvert

They think their part is to become an independent EU-wide military force that could in theory target the USA eventually.


9 posted on 01/31/2020 5:45:53 AM PST by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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To: Olog-hai

Ha.


10 posted on 01/31/2020 5:48:23 AM PST by nuconvert ( Warning: Accused of being a radical militarist. Approach with caution.)
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To: Olog-hai

I believe this guy is one of the good guys. Could be wrong, there.


11 posted on 01/31/2020 5:57:11 AM PST by lodi90
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To: lodi90

Schaeuble was shot by a left-wing psychopathic schizophrenic and has been confined to a wheelchair for 30-odd years. He would probably have been Chancellor if not for that. He’s a CDU man, a true fiscal conservative unlike the US Republican party.


12 posted on 01/31/2020 6:07:40 AM PST by babble-on
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To: Olog-hai

He’ll be ignored. The freeloading by the Germans won’t stop. Besides, its not just financial. That country hardly has any intact males left who aren’t muslim.


13 posted on 01/31/2020 7:19:54 AM PST by FLT-bird
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To: Olog-hai

Maybe they should annex the Sudetenland and advance into Poland....


14 posted on 01/31/2020 11:26:33 AM PST by Jack Hammer
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To: Olog-hai

And next time, they get to KEEP France!


15 posted on 01/31/2020 1:50:09 PM PST by JimRed ( TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: JimRed

Sad thing is, Macron actually wants them to.


16 posted on 01/31/2020 2:07:04 PM PST by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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