Speculate all you want pal! After all, that's all you can do from your armchair.

Why are you trying to deny that German troops are handcuffed by its governments restrictive ROE? Why are you denying the KSK situation ever happened?

Having served in Afghanistan, I can assure you that you are barking up the wrong tree. NO frontline troops want German troops with them given the combat restrictions they face. I can also assure you that the KSK story is fact. But, hey, if it makes you feel better, you carry on believing what you want, but here are the brutal facts about the Germans in Afghanistan:

They are based in the north of the country, where the Taliban threat is at its lowest. Let's at least be thankful for that!

When other fighting forces are banned from consuming alcohol in Afghanistan, the Germans are importing and drinking it in great quantity.

A German armed forces report found that 40 per cent of its soldiers aged 18-29 were overweight, compared to 35 per cent of the civilian population of the same age. An overweight soldier in the conditions of Afghanistan would be a second rate combat soldier.


And while you are about it, why not read what one of Germany's top generals says about their troops in Afghanistan:

In my book, this demonstrates a clear lack of commitment from the German government to both NATO and Afghanistan.

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1. I didn´t actually deny it. I said that your article was outdated, lacking in sources and deserved at least two questionmarks, for which i provided a link.

2. a) Most of these region never was under Taliban control, that does not mean that it is automatically safer though. The german troops are also facing missile attacks, suicide bombings etc.

b) Probably the german approach of combining civilian reconstruction with providing security simply makes a difference to the South were the war practically has never ended ?

3. While i would be more surprised about the opposite ( the german military banning beer), i´d still like to see a source for that.


German Soldiers in Afghanistan Face Dangerous Challenges | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 27.01.2009

Quote : /In the evening, they are allowed to drink a beer, but are limited by the so-called "two can rule" as they need to be ready to deploy at any time./Quote


4. This article is about the training of the police force, carried out by police instructors, not troops, and accordingly about a different branch of Germanys reconstruction efforts. It may be this generals opinion but it could as well be internal bickering between Germanys armed forces.

well, hey I am all for feeding the troops and giving them what comforts of home they can but well....

German Soldiers “Too Fat to Fight” - Transatlantic Media Network


as to the other issues..

http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/407/

etc.

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"The captain has turned off the `No Dubbing' sign. You are free to speak any language you choose."

But the source also say this ( and it does not say, that the others aren´t drinking ) :


Quote : After discussing the criticism of the German soldiers, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung cites Thomas Raabe, an official spokesman, as saying that a breakdown of the figures shows that each soldier drinks 0.77 liters of beer a day, less than the 1 liter daily allowance. The article “Boozers in the Bundeswehr” adds, however, there are several German-run shops not associated with the army which also sell beer. In defense of the soldiers, Jens Plötner, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, noted that even traveling journalists, and delegations such as one headed by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD), consume alcohol on trips to Afghanistan.

(Quote : / ) :The paper concludes that NATO will not be able to control Afghanistan until it develops a strategy that integrates counter-insurgency, counterterrorism and stability and reconstruction into operations on the ground. ( QUOTE )



Right, and this task requires more than fingerpointing at each other.

Doh! The link was given - The Times. You just didn't bother to read it, else you wouldn't be asking for it now.


Carry on splitting hairs, Voland. The fact remains that with their current ROE, German troops are not suited to front line combat.

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Voland! Whay are you on about? Read my lips. I am a serving member of the British armed forces. I have just returned from combat duty in Afghanistan. British and American troops in Afghanistan face a strict ban on alcohol. Part of the reason for that is in deference to the country's religion where alcohol is illegal. Are you calling me a liar?

The Germans are taking the piss!

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yes well frankly poor patrolling technique, its state mandated abhorrence as to casualties etc. will render their effort inert no matter the strategy. Battles are won at the end of the day by tactics. The current strategy as spilled own to the tactical level is it appears is to avoid any loss of life, from a tactical perspective that does not lend itself to victory as applied using the implementation of the requisite counter-insurgency, counterterrorism effort.

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"The captain has turned off the `No Dubbing' sign. You are free to speak any language you choose."

And that strategy will not be successful until ALL units operating under NATO are singing from the same hymn sheet, which certainly isn't the case at the moment!

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No, i didn´t call you a liar. I just posted one source that seems to contradict your claim. I also pointed to the german spokesman who stated that the quantity of alcohol consumed might sound enormous in absolute numbers but divided through the total number of german service personnel we arrive at one or two beers per person and day ( which isn´t that extreme). Since i served in the german army myself (drafted, medic) i seriously doubt the Bundeswehr is celebrating bacchanals in northern Afghanistan.
If your personal experience is a different one though, i am not going to dispute that.

Are you trying to insult me ?
We have at least as many dumbasses per capita as Russia, the US or Britain.


And Angie is not one from the brighter side.
What she´s good in is intrigue.
She got rid of Kohl and Stoiber - about the only good that can be said about her.
But she also pissed off a lot of qualified and intelligent people in her party. What remains is just about good enough to sweep the floor.
In other words, she brought the CDU to her level of intelligence.

But in politics she wouldn´t know an egg from horse manure.

Re bailout:
If these banks and companies go down we all, the whole world is going down with them.
All monetary systems. all international trade will be in the doldrums for a long time.
Check on 29.

I stated way before the election that neither Obama nor McCain were the right choice for President.
Of the two, Obama is merely the lesser evil IMO.

Your remark about intelligence is too racist for my liking.
I´ve met quite a few intelligent black people in my life and an awful lot of white idiots.
Probably because I happen to know more whites.

And forget your harping about german intelligence, Kant is dead and Helmut Schmidt is retired.

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"There is no means of avoiding the final collapse
of a boom brought about by credit (debt) expansion.
The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner
as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit (debt) expansion,
or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved." - Ludwig von Mises

You´re right, the Government wont let them.
But there will be at least 800 more in 09 and they are now allowed to fire on suspicion.

__________________
"There is no means of avoiding the final collapse
of a boom brought about by credit (debt) expansion.
The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner
as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit (debt) expansion,
or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved." - Ludwig von Mises

The QRT will merely protect the other soldiers up there.
No fighting force.

And that thanks to the CDU.

__________________
"There is no means of avoiding the final collapse
of a boom brought about by credit (debt) expansion.
The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner
as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit (debt) expansion,
or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved." - Ludwig von Mises

Afraid you´ll have to wait til Steinmeier is chancellor.

Angie won´t allow it, it might get her knickers in a twist and the CDU would lose a lot of votes.

__________________
"There is no means of avoiding the final collapse
of a boom brought about by credit (debt) expansion.
The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner
as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit (debt) expansion,
or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved." - Ludwig von Mises

Correction:

The german Government fouled up. not the soldiers.

But then again, you´ve tried to get bin Laden for eight years now.
Caught him yet ?

No, I´m not trying to take the mickey.
I know quite well how good you are.

But I´m convinced, if the GSG 9 was ordered to get him, they´d have his ass within three months. No matter where.

__________________
"There is no means of avoiding the final collapse
of a boom brought about by credit (debt) expansion.
The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner
as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit (debt) expansion,
or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved." - Ludwig von Mises