War Games in the Pacific

WASHINGTON/BERLIN (Own report) – German soldiers will soon participate in maneuvers in the Pacific and will be on hand as observers on patrols in the South China Sea, according to announcements by the US Navy and the French Minister of Defense, Florence Parly. At a top-level conference in Singapore last weekend, Parly declared that Paris will dispatch warships to the South China Sea in the next few days and will also navigate through the territorial waters of Islands China claims as its territory. According to Parly, German military observers will embark on these ships. At the same time, German soldiers are preparing their participation in the US led RIMPAC 2018 maneuver, taking place mainly near Hawaii. RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime exercise. During RIMPAC 2016 German soldiers trained in “liberating” an island, which, according to the scenario, was held by the “Draco” militia. “Draco” is the Latin term for “dragon” – a symbol for China.

Germany Extends Its Military Arm

Caption: A Bundeswehr Luftwaffe ECR Tornado reconnaissance jet departs for Incirlik Air Base in Turkey on Dec. 10, 2015. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

 

The troops currently stationed at Incirlik Air Base include pilots, technicians, ground staff and specialists who evaluate the obtained images from the reconnaissance flights. Yet the troops at Incirlik have had to operate within temporary structures, such as containers and tents.

Spiegel reported that the German Army expects a long-term operation in Turkey. It referenced a planning paper from the Defense Ministry, which listed $75 million to be spent for: an air control area ($12 million), accommodations for German soldiers ($17 million), and a fully equipped combat headquarters ($39 million).

29 German soldiers have joined ISIS, army may contain dozens of jihadist sympathizers – report

© Reuters

 

German counter-intelligence believes that at least 29 former soldiers from the country have left to join Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. An internal report also revealed that 65 active soldiers are being investigated for alleged jihadist sympathies.

The report was undertaken by the German military counter intelligence service (MAD), which was seen by the DPA news agency. The documents show that at least 29 former German soldiers have fled to the Middle East to join Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).

Social Democratic Party (SPD) MP Hans-Peter Bartels, who is responsible for oversight of the army, said on Tuesday that “Islamism isn’t the main problem of the Bundeswehr (German Army), however, he did mention that “it represents a real danger that we have to take seriously.”

An Important Trend to Watch as Assad’s Rule Weakens in Syria

Syria’s dictator is under siege and could fall. Who stands most to benefit?

Since inheriting his father’s 30-year old rule of Syria in 2000, President Bashar Assad has maintained a strong grip on power. But things have changed since the Arab Spring and the consequent civil war in his country.

Syria’s civil war has raged for over four years now, and the country is engulfed in suffering. More than 200,000 people have been killed, according to the United Nations. Tallying up the dead got so bad that in 2013, an exasperated UN momentarily gave up counting. Nearly 8 million people have been displaced from their homes. Four million have fled to other countries.

No More Taboos For the German Army

Germany removes the last restraints on its use of the armed forces, while its defense minister declares that there will be “no taboos”.

The year 1993 pivotal for the German military. Germany established its armed forces in 1956, but memories of two world wars meant that they were restricted to defensive operations within nato territory.

In 1991, this slowly began to change. Thirty German soldiers deployed in Baghdad, Iraq, to help with airlift operations. The same year, 150 medics were sent with a United Nations mission to Cambodia.

The first substantial foreign mission came in 1993, with over 2,000 military personnel deploying to Somalia as UN peacekeepers. The same year, German soldiers joined in aerial operations over Yugoslavia.

The world had no problems with these operations. In fact, the UN and United States desperately wanted the German army to do more, but to many Germans, this was too much. Germany’s main left-wing party, the Social Democratic Party (spd), and the free market Free Democratic Party (fdp) complained to the German Constitutional Court that these deployments violated Germany’s Basic Law—its constitution.

“Justice must be Done”

COLOGNE On the occasion of the anniversary of the Nazis’ November Pogroms, german-foreign-policy.com (gfp.com) spoke with the chairs of two prominent citizens’ initiatives about German commemorative culture and Germany’s responsibility for Nazi crimes. They are Hans-Rüdiger Minow spokesperson for the Board of Directors of the “Train of Commemoration” and Christoph Schwarz, spokesperson for the Board of Directors of “Stolen Children – Forgotten Victims.”

german-foreign-policy.com: ‘The 70th Anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp will be commemorated in January. Its survivors will look toward Germany. Would this be a reason for you to take stock?

Hans-Rüdiger Minow (“Train of Commemoration”): Should the survivors actually look toward Germany on January 27, 2015, they will do it with much bitterness and anger. Even in the seventieth year since these mass crimes, the Federal Republic of Germany is still refusing to live up to its inherited responsibilities.

…

Minow: Today they are German citizens. Even in relationship to its own citizens, Berlin does not acknowledge that the Federal Republic of Germany is heir to all the deeds and crimes committed by its predecessor government. On the other hand, Berlin does claim all the rights of this predecessor government, if it means a repudiation of this heritage.

War for Talent

BERLIN/BONN (Own report) – Last week, the German Bundeswehr launched a new recruitment propaganda campaign. The advertising campaign includes three prime time commercials on public and commercial TV channels. The thirty-second video clips depict soldiers in civilian dress going about their off-duty activities with the objective of portraying soldiers as “everyday people,” “with a private life like anyone else.” The spoken texts emphasize the soldier’s camaraderie, patriotism, and orientation on the common good – all reference to their use of violence is obscured. This new propaganda offensive is part of the “Attractiveness Agenda,” announced by German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) aimed at presenting the Bundeswehr as a modern, “people oriented” employer. The agenda also promotes the “embedding” of the Armed Forces in German society.

Dutch Paratroopers Integrated Into German Army

As the article points out, look for a European army on the horizon. Spending cuts, the economic crisis and a need for security are the drivers behind the politics that will make the United States of Europe and its European army happen. As much as its European neighbors might not like Germany much at the moment, they look towards its leadership as an economic powerhouse that runs Europe, as well as its umbrella protectorate. In the next chapter of world history, all roads are leading to Berlin. Some might agree, some might not, and some might even scoff at the idea. However, in the end, today’s jokes are tomorrow’s reality. Global Geopolitics has been following this for some time now and its trend is well documented here for you, the reader, to see and come to your own conclusions.

Germany and the Netherlands form a joint task force.

A brigade of Dutch paratroopers will be integrated into a new German division of rapid reaction forces, German newspaper Rheinische Post reported on May 22. The 11th Airmobile Brigade—a mobile force of 4,500 troops that is equipped with light vehicles, mortars and anti-aircraft systems—will join 8,600 German soldiers to form the new division under German command.

With paratroopers and special forces, as well as combat and transport helicopters, the group is designed to respond quickly to new threats and help evacuate endangered German and Dutch citizens. Until now, only Britain and America had a similar type of military structure.