, As accusations of alleged prisoner abuse and desecration of bodies swirl around the Bundeswehr, German Defense Minister Franz-Josef Jung outlined the army's future on Wednesday.
As German troops continue missions in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and patrol along the coast of Lebanon, the German grand coalition government Wednesday published a white paper on the country's security policy and future of the Bundeswehr.
“I think the question of security for our country is so important that it is not a question of a single minister but a question for the entire government,” Defense Minister Franz-Josef Jung said in Berlin.
The 133-page paper is the first to deal with German army engagements in 12 years and covers threats posed by terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction as well as future military deployments.
Military not only answer to world's problems
“Today's Bundeswehr is shaped by international assignments,” the paper said, adding that Germany will continue to deploy troops in the international fight against terrorism but also plans to play a role in resolving regional conflicts and ensuring the protection of human rights and free trade.
“Eighty percent of our trade occurs on the seas, which naturally includes the security of energy supplies and raw materials,” Jung said. “After an oil tanker was attacked by terrorists in the Strait of Hormuz in 2002, it is clear that such terrorist activities need to be eliminated when it comes to the energy security and supplies and free trade on the seas.”
The paper, however, also warned of placing too heavy an emphasis on military solution to international problems, saying that trade, diplomacy and developmental aid are of equal importance with martial force.
Germany currently has about 9,000 soldiers deployed in German missions around the world, a level the paper says could increase to a maximum of 14,000 troops in five theaters of operation.
Goals cannot be geographically defined
“German security policy has to take into account developments happening in regions that are geographically far away,” the paper said. “Interests cannot be solely geographically defined in an age of globalization.”
The report also went to lengths to define Germany's national interests, which nearly always coincide with those of the European Union, according to Social Democratic Party defense expert J
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